170,000 New Industrial Robots Installed in China
Number of Robot-Related Patents About Five Times That of the US
China Tightens Regulations on Robotics Industry Amid Technological Rise
A video showing a Chinese humanoid robot, designed to imitate human actions, kicking a person during a mock training session has sparked controversy. On the 29th, Yonhap News TV, citing Chinese state media Global Times, reported that an accident occurred in which a robot imitating human movements struck a man's vital area.
The robot in the video was mimicking the movements of the person standing next to it in real time, stepping and throwing punches and kicks. However, when the man training alongside performed a diagonal kick next to the robot, the robot copied the action exactly and struck the man's vital area. SNS
On the 25th, a blogger posted a video on a Chinese video platform featuring a sparring session with 'G1', a humanoid robot developed by Chinese robotics company Unitree. In the video, the robot was seen mimicking the movements of the person standing next to it in real time, stepping, and throwing punches and kicks. However, when the man training alongside performed a diagonal kick next to the robot, the robot copied the move exactly and struck the man's vital area. The video attracted even more attention as the robot also fell down after seeing the man collapse in pain. Unitree clarified, "The sparring moves were programmed directly by the blogger," and added, "We only sell the robot hardware." The blogger explained that the accident was due to a technical delay between action recognition and response, and said that in the future, the response time could be reduced to around 0.1 seconds.
The robot in the video was mimicking the movements of the person standing next to it in real time, stepping and throwing punches and kicks. However, when the man training alongside performed a diagonal kick next to the robot, the robot copied the move exactly and struck the man's vital area. SNS
Elon Musk, who is developing the Tesla humanoid robot 'Optimus', also showed interest in the video by leaving laughing and crying emojis. Musk had previously responded positively to a video of Chinese singer Wang Leehom's robot backup dancers. China has recently been rapidly expanding its influence in the field of humanoid robots. According to US investment bank Morgan Stanley, the number of patents related to humanoid robots in China over the past five years is about five times that of the United States, and China also holds advantages in supply chain and production costs. The International Federation of Robotics (IFR) stated that last year, 170,000 new industrial robots were installed in China, accounting for 57.6% of the global total.
As the Debate Over Imitative Robots Grows, China Establishes Management Systems Reflecting Socialist Values
Amid such technological advancement and proliferation, the Chinese government is simultaneously strengthening regulations on AI. On the 27th, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) announced "Interim Measures for the Operation of Artificial Intelligence-Based Humanoid Interaction Services." These measures target humanoid AI services that imitate human personalities and interact emotionally with users.
China has recently been rapidly expanding its influence in the field of humanoid robots. Photo by AFP Yonhap News
The draft stipulates that companies providing humanoid AI services must inform users that they are interacting with AI both when logging in and after two consecutive hours of use. For minors, guardians must be able to restrict usage time or block certain functions. Notably, these regulations explicitly reflect 'core socialist values.' Prohibited activities include threats to national security, defamation of national honor, criticism of the political system, illegal religious activities, disruption of social order, and the creation or dissemination of violent, gambling, or obscene content. Data used for AI training must also embody socialist values and traditional Chinese culture.
The Chinese government has also made it mandatory for humanoid AI services with more than 1 million registered users or over 100,000 monthly active users to submit evaluation reports. Bloomberg analyzed this as "China is nurturing AI as a strategic industry while simultaneously refining its governance system to maintain security and social stability." Experts say that this robot accident video demonstrates both the potential and risks of the technology, and predict that China will continue to manage the humanoid AI industry by pursuing both technological advancement and regulatory reinforcement.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
