China's push into humanoid robotics is gaining momentum, driven by electric-vehicle makers leveraging their expertise and lower production costs, while the U.S. imposes tariffs and considers restricting exports of advanced chips. The debut of DeepSeek, a powerful Chinese AI model, has intensified competition in China's AI sector, prompting self-reflection and renewed confidence in local engineering talent. China’s government incentives and superior EV infrastructure have also contributed to the country's dominance in electric vehicles, with over half of all cars sold being electric or hybrid compared to just 8% in the U.S. Skepticism around humanoid robots exists, but China sees them as a potential solution to labor shortages, particularly in manufacturing and caregiving sectors. While robotics development currently requires less computing power than AI, future advancements will depend on high-performance chips, an area where U.S. sanctions could pose a significant challenge for China. Continue here.
