The Next Big Influencer Is This 4-Foot-Tall Robot From China

In April, a video of the 4-foot-tall humanoid robot named Edward Warchocki, created by Polish software developer Jakub Idzik, went viral worldwide. Edward was equipped with a large language model, allowing him to engage in live conversations in Polish. The robot, which costs around $25,000, quickly gained popularity, making friends, visiting the Polish parliament, hiking mountains, wading in lakes, and even jokingly being arrested by the police. By now, Edward has over 1 million followers and 4 billion views across social media.

The robot's success has inspired other enthusiasts to create their own humanoid influencers. Jake Cooperstein, a 24-year-old living in Miami, visited a robotics shop in New York and tested the Unitree G1 robot. He paid the deposit for the most basic version, priced at $13,500, and named his robot Brickell Clanker, taking it out in public to interact with people.

Cooperstein makes money by charging fees to bring Brickell Clanker to influencer parties, nightclubs, and corporate events, with rates ranging from $800 to $1,200 an hour.

However, the future of these humanoid influencers may be uncertain. The US Federal Communications Commission recently announced a ban on new Chinese-made humanoid robots, though models that had already cleared approvals, such as Unitree G1 and R1, are theoretically still allowed. Unitree, the Chinese company behind the G1 robot, won't be able to sell its next generation of humanoid robots to the US when it releases them.