The Robots Cometh
TIME 2 months ago 15 ● 2 sources
Unitree, a Chinese robotics firm founded by Wang Xingxing, has become the world's leading humanoid robot manufacturer, selling over 5,500 units in 2025 and planning an IPO valuing the company at $6 billion. The company's flagship G1 humanoid robot costs $13,500 (down from $16,000 in 18 months) and operates at 30-50% human efficiency, with cheaper models like the R1 at under $5,000, while Morgan Stanley forecasts 13 million humanoids in use globally by 2035. Widespread adoption could displace workers and concentrate wealth, but also promises to automate dangerous labor; however, hacked robots pose new cybersecurity risks, and the U.S. has introduced legislation to ban Chinese robots deemed national-security threats.