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Unitree CEO says humanoid robots are nearing a 'ChatGPT moment'
Unitree shares fell 11% on Thursday after gaining nearly sixfold in the prior day following its Shanghai debut, underscoring sharp swings in investor sentiment.
Reuters reports that Unitree Robotics CEO Wang Xingxing said the humanoid robot industry is moving toward what he called a "ChatGPT moment" for robot brains, pointing to progress in AI systems that can help machines navigate and understand real-world environments. He linked the timing to the broader AI boom, arguing the field has not yet reached a comparable inflection point for so-called world models used in embodied intelligence.
Wang said the industry is approaching a stage where robots can be deployed in unfamiliar settings and complete most tasks using simple voice or text instructions. He described a hoped-for outcome where a robot could handle roughly 80% of tasks in an unfamiliar household using those commands.
The Reuters account also notes that Wang framed the timeline with caution, saying a significant leap in robot software could occur within two to three years in an optimistic scenario, or within five to 10 years at the latest.
Shares in Unitree fell 11% on Thursday, a day after they surged nearly sixfold at the time of its Shanghai market debut. Reuters adds that the reaction reflects intense investor enthusiasm for a sector backed by Beijing, even as robotics experts characterize current capabilities as still limited.