Beijing – China’s race to develop humanoid robots is heating up, with over 150 companies now working on AI-powered machines designed to perform everyday tasks. Government support and strong supply chains are helping these firms push forward, but officials are warning that the sector could be heading toward a market bubble.
At a recent briefing of the National Development and Reform Commission, official Li Chao said, “‘Speed’ and ‘bubble’ have always been issues that need balance in frontier industries. The same goes for the humanoid robot industry.”
The warning comes amid concerns that production is scaling up faster than actual demand, echoing wider fears of a potential crash fueled by frenzied AI investment worldwide.
“In recent years, driven by innovation and growing demand, humanoid robotics is experiencing explosive growth,” Li said. But she added that the industry is still immature, with technology, commercialization, and real-world applications not yet fully developed.
More than half of the 150+ humanoid robot companies are startups or firms entering from other industries, which Li said is positive for innovation. However, she cautioned against highly repetitive products flooding the market, which could crowd out research and development and create unnecessary risks.
Industry reports predict huge growth. A Leaderobot report from April projects China’s humanoid robot market will reach 82 billion yuan ($11.6 billion) by 2025, representing half of global sales.
Despite ambitious projections, large-scale real-world use cases are still rare. Headlines have been made by impressive trials, like Shanghai’s AgiBot, which set a Guinness World Record this month for the longest distance walked by a humanoid robot—100 km (62 miles) over three days.
China is also experimenting with fun, high-profile events. In August, Beijing hosted the world’s first-ever humanoid robot games, where over 500 robots competed in sports like basketball and even cleaning competitions.
While the technology is advancing rapidly, officials say caution is needed to avoid a bubble in this fast-growing, futuristic industry.
