China shows in Beijing's high-tech district what the future with humanoid robots could look like

Dental treatment by a machine, man's best friend a robot: In Beijing's high-tech district of Yizhuang, where autonomous taxis and food delivery vehicles drive past the offices of major tech and car companies, China is showing where it sees the future of humanoid robots .

While robot dogs perform tricks and give paws, "GalBot" stands in front of a shelf filled with various medications. At the push of a button, visitors can select a product, which the Beijing-developed robot, using its long arms, picks up from the shelf and places in a basket. This way, a pharmacy could operate 24 hours a day, says a woman guiding a group of visitors through the exhibition.

Next to it, "YakeBot" extends its long arm into the mouth of a human dummy for a numeric implant. The robot, the manufacturers promise, is intended to make the procedure more efficient.

Opposite, "Walker" stands on a roller conveyor. The humanoid is placing several finished parts into a box in front of him. The scene is intended to simulate work in a factory where robots perform simple tasks. The humanoid's battery lasts for three to four hours, says an employee. After that, he walks independently to the charging station.

But technological progress also causes many people to worry about whether machines could soon replace their jobs. China's manufacturing sector , in which millions of people work, could be particularly affected.

"We don't believe that robots will make people unemployed, but rather that it's more about improving efficiency or doing things that people don't want to do," says Liang Liang, deputy director of the Beijing Economic and Technological Development Administration.

According to him, dangerous workplaces are one of the first areas for robots in the future. Or, when people need to rest, for example, the machine can continue working, creating better, cheaper, and more useful products, Liang says.

Liang hopes that the robots will eventually leave the lab and appear in real life. So far, there have only been pilot tests for various applications, such as in factories. Companies are also using robots to train their artificial intelligence using the data.

But this progress is politically motivated. China also wants to compete with its long-time competitor from the United States in this technology, where companies like electric car manufacturer Tesla are also working on humanoids. In its work report, the government set a goal for this year to invest more in future industries such as "embodied AI," which includes humanoid robots.

Beijing wants to generate enthusiasm for the technology. A recent half marathon, in which humanoids participated for the first time, attracted considerable international attention. During the New Year's gala on Chinese state television—a bonfire moment watched by millions of people every year—a group of robots performed a meticulously choreographed dance.

dpa/np