China’s burgeoning humanoid robotics sector is facing mounting concerns over a potential market bubble, despite rapid growth and strong government backing. More than 150 Chinese firms are now developing humanoid robots, yet officials caution that the industry may be scaling up too quickly for real-world demand to keep pace.
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State support and extensive supply chains have helped domestic companies accelerate progress in creating AI-driven robots intended to perform everyday tasks in the future. However, analysts at Goldman Sachs recently warned that production is racing ahead without sufficient confirmed orders, raising the risk of significant overcapacity.
Speaking at a National Development and Reform Commission briefing on Thursday, Beijing official Li Chao said that both “speed” and the risk of a “bubble” required careful management in cutting-edge industries. “The same goes for the humanoid robot industry,” she noted when asked directly about fears of an overheated market. Her comments reflect broader global anxieties surrounding speculative investment in artificial intelligence, which some experts say mirrors previous tech-driven market crashes.
Li acknowledged that the sector is experiencing “explosive growth”, fuelled by innovation and rising interest in embodied intelligence. Yet she stressed that the field is still far from mature, whether in terms of technological capabilities, commercial readiness or real-world integration.
Of China’s 150-plus humanoid robot developers — a number that continues to grow — more than half are either start-ups or companies entering the sector from other industries. While this breadth of participation may stimulate innovation, Li warned of risks linked to repetitive products saturating the market and limiting meaningful research and development.
Industry forecasts reflect both the scale and the uncertainty of the field. A report published in April by the consulting firm Leaderobot predicted that China’s humanoid robotics market could reach 82 billion yuan (£9.1bn) by 2025, representing half of global sales.
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Despite the enthusiasm, practical applications remain limited. Nonetheless, high-profile demonstrations continue to attract attention. Earlier this month, a humanoid robot developed by Shanghai-based AgiBot set a Guinness World Record after completing a 100-kilometre trek over three days — the longest recorded distance walked by a machine of its kind. Meanwhile, Beijing hosted the world’s first humanoid robot games in August, featuring more than 500 robotic “athletes” competing in events from basketball to competitive cleaning. If you’d like, I can also extract sentences, create a summary, or rewrite this text in a different style.
