GoKawiil
Tech News
CCTV footage from a store in Saratov, Russia shows a Unitree G1 humanoid robot reacting to a light shove from a customer by launching into a kickboxing-style routine, complete with fighting music, before store clerks intervene. One of its kicks appears to connect with a clerk, and the robot eventually halts and raises its arms into a T-pose before being sent for a reboot.
Recent robotics showcases—from Tesla's Optimus serving drinks to Unitree robots performing synchronized martial arts and setting a sub-9-second 100-meter sprint record—have fueled public fears that humanoid robots will soon replace human workers. But researchers interviewed say these choreographed demonstrations are misleading indicators of real-world capability, since flashy acrobatics don't translate into the dexterity, adaptability, and reliability needed for everyday labor tasks.
At the Actuate conference, robotics AI builders acknowledged that while robot bodies keep improving, the underlying AI models still can't reliably perform valuable work. This gap was underscored by Unitree's stock losing nearly half its value days after its blockbuster IPO valued the Chinese robot maker at $66 billion.
Unitree Robotics released footage of its headless humanoid, Superman, jumping 6.5 feet and sprinting over 28 mph, both exceeding known human records. Two days later the Hangzhou company debuted on Shanghai's stock exchange, with shares spiking 629% above the offer price and pushing its intraday valuation near $66 billion before settling at $50.8 billion.