**The Great Robotics Showdown: Can the US Keep Up with China’s Robo-Rush?**
I just got back from a whirlwind trip to Beijing and, man, I’m still reeling from the sheer scale of the robotics innovation happening there. I mean, the Beijing AI Innovation Alliance (BAAI) is like a robot wonderland – rows of employees typing away on their laptops, training algorithms for everyday tasks like pouring liquids and picking up objects. It’s like they’re trying to teach robots to be as intuitive as humans (or, at least, as intuitive as my cat when it comes to getting treats).
But here’s the thing: no one really knows what data is most valuable to these robots or how much they need or how to gather it effectively. And for humanoids to become a normal part of our lives, we need to create hardware that can mimic a human hand (or, you know, actually do a backflip).
I chatted with Tony Zhao, CEO of Sunday Robotics, a California-based startup, and he’s worried that US companies like his won’t be able to keep up with the Chinese competition. “The iteration pace is just too fast for us,” he says. “And I don’t know how we can catch up.”
To stay ahead of the game, Zhao recently recruited an exec from a Chinese robotics firm with deep connections and expertise in China’s complex supply chain. “The only way we can beat the Chinese is to build a team on the ground,” he says.
Some other CEOs, like Demis Hassabis of Google DeepMind and Lachy Groom of Physical Intelligence, think that robotics growth will follow a similar pattern to smartphones – China makes the hardware and the US makes the brains. Except, now Huawei is making both.
But Jonathan Hurst, CEO of Agility, a humanoid robotics company, thinks that government intervention is the key. He’s all about investing in advanced domestic manufacturing, like tax incentives for companies that use robots in their warehouses and factories, to prop up US robotics companies. It’s like a gentle push to get the industry moving. “We need to be smart about automation,” he says. “It’s the only way.”
As I reflected on my trip, I realized that even in China, robots haven’t yet taken over the world (or, at least, my hotel). The staff at my hotel, including Stephen, who handled my laundry with aplomb, were all human. It seems like robots still have some catching up to do.
So, what do you think? Can the US robotics industry keep up with China’s robo-rush? Share your thoughts in the comments or write to us at [mail@wired.com](mailto:mail@wired.com).
