Robots poised for their ‘ChatGPT moment’ as physical AI nears breakthrough: report

Technology Robots poised for their 'ChatGPT moment' as physical AI nears breakthrough: report Unitree CEO Wang Xingxing predicts humanoid robots could reach a 'ChatGPT moment' by 2028, handling most everyday tasks through voice and text commands.

Key points

• "With continued accumulation of data and further technological breakthroughs, we expect to reach the 'ChatGPT moment' for embodied intelligence by 2028, "remarked Wang.
• While addressing a major robot conference in Beijing, the Hangzhou-based startup's founder and CEO, Wang Xingxing remarked, "We are marching towards a 'ChatGPT moment' in embodied intelligence."
• The global AI boom that has reshaped the world economy was sparked in late 2022 by ChatGPT's breakthrough sizeable language model, a watershed moment that drove mass adoption.
• Hafsa Naeem is an entertainment reporter specialising in K-dramas, films, and celebrity-driven stories.
• Unitree is the world's largest producer of robot dogs and the second-biggest maker of humanoid robots by shipments, according to industry data.

In a new tech debate Robots manufacturing firms are predicting the humanoid robotics industry is approaching a 'ChatGPT moment' by 2028, enabling robots to handle most everyday tasks through simple voice and text commands.

In practice, the CEO of Unitree Robotics, Wang Xingxing, stated that the humanoid robotics industry is rapidly approaching its own "ChatGPT moment", predicting that major AI breakthroughs will enable robots to perform most daily tasks through simple voice and text commands within the next few years.

Shares in China's best-known humanoid robot maker fell 11% on Thursday, a day after soaring almost sixfold in their market debut, highlighting intense investor enthusiasm for a fledgling sector that enjoys robust backing from Beijing.

Meanwhile, the global AI boom that has reshaped the world economy was sparked in late 2022 by ChatGPT's breakthrough sizeable language model, a watershed moment that drove mass adoption.

No comparable inflection point has yet emerged for world models, the physical AI simulation systems designed to support robots understand and navigate real-world environments.

Wang continued that the industry is nearing a breakthrough where robots can be placed in unfamiliar environments and complete most tasks through simple voice or text instructions.

"We hope that in the future, we can see a robot be introduced into an unfamiliar household and it can achieve approximately 80% of tasks successfully through voice or text commands, " he remarked.

"It is an important tipping point for the robot industry to usher in explosive growth."

Meanwhile, Wang cautioned that a major leap in robot software could arrive within two to three years in an optimistic scenario, or within five to 10 years at the latest.

"Relative to the mood around World Robot Conference and Unitree's spectacular IPO, Wang Xingxing was notably sober about current capabilities, " remarked Georg Stieler, head of automation at robotics consultancy Stieler.

Unitree's Wang remarked the company's biggest current investment in terms of capital and manpower is in world models and that it is "lagging behind" in the real-world application of physical AI models.

Founder of Chinese robotic startup, expects the sector's "ChatGPT moment" to arrive by 2028, defining it as the point when robots can perform regarding 70% to 80% of everyday tasks without specialized training.

Hafsa Naeem is an entertainment reporter specialising in K-dramas, films, and celebrity-driven stories. She explores global content trends and audience engagement, delivering accessible coverage that captures the emotional and cultural impact of entertainment throughout diverse viewership.

Taken together, the developments around robots poised for their 'ChatGPT moment' as physical AI nears breakthrough: report point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.