Robots poised for 'ChatGPT moment', says Unitree CEO

Unitree CEO Wang Xingxing anticipates a ChatGPT moment for robot brains, as the industry nears a breakthrough where robots can perform most tasks through voice or text instructions. The CEO spoke at the World Robot Conference in Beijing following the company's Shanghai listing, which solidified China's ambitions to lead in AI-powered machines.

While shares of the humanoid robot maker fell 11 percent after a near sixfold surge during market debut, investor enthusiasm remains high for this burgeoning sector. Wang emphasized that a major leap in robot software could arrive within two to three years, or by five to 10 years at the latest. At the moment, the industry lacks a comparable inflexion point to ChatGPT, as world models - physical AI simulations designed to aid robots in understanding and navigating real-world environments - have yet to emerge.

Nonetheless, Wang expects robots to reach a tipping point within the next decade, enabling them to successfully complete approximately 80 percent of tasks through voice or text commands.