Humanoid robots show China's ingenuity beyond games

A humanoid robot crosses the line to win the large robot 100-meter final race during the 2nd World Humanoid Robot Games at the National Speed Skating Oval in Beijing on August 26, 2026. [AFP]

The recently concluded humanoid robotic games in China went beyond fun. It was advanced science and technology on display. It was a window into the possibilities of technology. Add marketing at its best. Don’t we love toys at whatever age?

As we watched the games, we saw Chinese ingenuity and innovation, artificial intelligence (AI) at its best. Who thought robots could run and play games like tennis?

Who thought robots could be that flexible and agile? Arthur C. Clarke was right when he suggested advanced technology and magic are indistinguishable.

If you just laughed at robots and saw Usain Bolt's record broken, watch again. Let’s start with the technology part of it. How do you make a robot run and balance like a human being? The sensors used and the computer processing power are enormous, just like in a driverless car.

 It’s so advanced that the robots look and behave as if they are conscious! The technology to run and play games is more complicated than in a factory.

Think of transferring that technology into manufacturing. It seems that with the flexibility of robots, no human career is now safe.

Why humanoids, or human look-alike robots? We love copying nature; it innovated long before us. In designing planes, we copied birds; cycling and four-stroke engines copied our walking. Why not copy the perfection of the human body? There is a good reason why your fingers are four and a thumb?  What if there are more fingers?

The humanoid robots are not just about fun. We are likely to react more positively to humanlike robots. It’s simple psychology. Remember the dolls? Why did kids like them? How do we draw the aliens?  Think of such a robot serving in a restaurant or other places.

China is playing the long game; population growth has slowed despite relaxing the one-child policy. Affluence and literacy are great contraceptives. China anticipates a labour shortage in future. Will robots take the roles? Japan is another leader in robotics with a declining population.

Before that future arrives, robots will be used in manufacturing to increase productivity. This could make Chinese products cheaper without compromising on their quality. Have you heard Western countries complaining of China’s overproduction? Will robots make it worse?  China will probably use robots incrementally to avoid unemployment.

The publicity in humanoid games is a coded message to the West; the AI race has just begun. This is part of China’s soft power.  The games cast China as a leader in AI. Suppose China proposes a humanoid Olympics?  What would Kenya send?

These games raise some difficult ethical and philosophical issues. Are we playing God? Will robots one day become conscious? New technologies easily find their way to battle fronts. Will humanoid robots do the same? What will happen to countries without humanoid soldiers?

We have already seen the use of drones and their devastation. Think of a robot sent to arrest you. What will authoritarian regimes do with humanoid robots? 

Will the use of humanoids demean humanity? What if a robot serves you better in a hotel than a human waiter? How shall we react to all interactions between customers and humanoids?

Think of men who like showing off their authority by shouting at waiters in bars? Will they shout at robots? I hear men who are so hard on waiters are “sat on” at home. Is that true? 

Will humanoids make life boring? We can learn from Covid -19 and the shift to online meetings and classes. Add dating. We still yearn for real persons. My fear is that we could get used to humanoids. Have you noted how hard it is nowadays to strike up a spontaneous conversation with fellow human beings? Will it get worse?

Shall we start behaving like robots and regress to the mean?  From my experience, I have noted that the most exciting lectures were those before the internet and AI. There were fewer distractions, and we were “more human.”

One big question: what shall we be doing as robots work for us? Shall we be happier and more fulfilled? How come the existing technology has not given us more leisure time? Why are we so stressed despite gas cookers, cars, computers and other technology?

What are we doing as China hosts humanoid games? Watching the English Premier League as usual or listening to our leaders preparing for 2027 polls? Will hosting the school science congress winners in our State House decades after music and drama winners take us closer to China and her love for science and technology?  Remember, science and technology are not about gadgets; it’s cultural too. Why are they late despite owning cars and watches?  Finally, to all my enemies: “I am buying a humanoid robot to keep me company; keep off my lane! “