Beijing: Humanoid robots in China are not intended to replace human labor or trigger mass unemployment, according to a senior Chinese official overseeing one of Beijing’s top technology hubs. The statement comes amid a surge in state-backed investments into the rapidly advancing robotics sector.
Liang Liang, deputy director of the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area, addressed concerns during a press briefing with foreign media on Friday. He emphasized that humanoid robots are being developed to enhance productivity and take on dangerous or undesirable tasks—not to displace their human counterparts.
“We don’t believe robots will make people unemployed, but rather they’ll boost efficiency or take on tasks humans are unwilling to do—like exploring the vast universe or the ocean depths where people can’t go. Machines can assist us in that exploration,” Liang said.
He further added:
“When it’s nighttime and humans need rest, machines could keep working, giving us better, cheaper, and more user-friendly products. So we see this as the direction for our future development.”
Liang pointed to the world’s first robot half-marathon, held in Beijing last month, as a symbolic demonstration of how humanoid robots and humans can operate in parallel rather than in competition. The race was structured with two separate tracks: one for human runners and the other for robots operated by 20 teams, showcasing a wide range of robotic designs and abilities.
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“You see, in the marathon, humans have their track where they push their physical limits, and the machines have their own track where they jointly challenge their limits—but they aren’t trying to take over the human course to sprint to the finish line. The future will be like this too,” Liang noted.
The press event was held at the headquarters of X-Humanoid, also known as the Beijing Humanoid Robotics Innovation Centre, a state-backed facility focused on advancing robot design. The centre’s Tiangong Ultra model won the inaugural half-marathon event, demonstrating the growing sophistication of humanoid robotics in China.
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In addition to sports-focused robots like the Tiangong Ultra—which can reach a top speed of 12 kph (7.56 mph)—the centre also showcased experimental robots equipped with adaptive features. These prototypes are being designed to perform routine tasks in unpredictable environments.
In one demonstration, a robot persistently completed its task despite a human employee repeatedly interfering by moving or removing an object. The robot consistently adjusted and resumed its work, highlighting a self-correcting function that developers say is essential for real-world applications.
