The $30 million toe in the water

A humanoid robot wearing a clown wig kicked a child in the stomach during a martial arts show in China,sparking fresh debate over the use of AI-powered robots in the country's entertainment industry. The robot's unexpected move has raised concerns about the safety and suitability of robots in public performances. According to a report by Unitree Robotics, dozens of its G1 robots took to the stage at the CCTV Spring Festival gala, performing kicks, flips, and even moves with nunchucks, swords, and poles.

The use of robots for entertainment and service is becoming more common in parts of China, with the droids even serving customers at McDonald's. In Shanghai, the machines, supplied by Chinese firm Keenon Robotics, were deployed as part of a trial and hint at a future where bots handle routine tasks at fast food restaurants.

An echo of Sydney's 2024 institutional buy-up

China recently rolled out a nationwide initiative designed to assign every domestically produced humanoid robot a unique digital identity. State broadcaster CCTV revealed that the initiative, known as the Humanoid Full Lifecycle Management Service Platform, will track robots from manufacturing and deployment through to retirement and recycling.

The use of robots for entertainment and service is becoming more common in parts of China, with the droids even serving customers at McDonald's. In Shanghai, the machines, supplied by Chinese firm Keenon Robotics, were deployed as part of a trial and hint at a future where bots handle routine tasks at fast food restaurants.

Who is the unnamed buyer?

The robot that kicked the child in the stomach was wearing an afro wig and was giving a unique martial arts demonstration to a crowd of onlookers at Urumqi Botanical Garden in Xinjiang, China.. While the audience filmed the performance, the robot transitioned into a fighting stance and executed a spinning roundhouse kick.

The unexpected move struck a young boy directly in the stomach, leading him to double over in pain before falling backwards into the crowd. The robot stumbled backwards after the kick before appearing to balance itself, recover and continue the performance.

What auditors flagged in the May filing

According to a report by Unitree Robotics, doens of its G1 robots took to the stage at the CCTV Spring Festival gala, performing kicks, flips, and even moves with nunchucks, swords, and poles. The fight sequences included a technically ambitious one that imitated the wobbly moves and backward falls of China's 'drunken boxing' martial arts style.

This particular sequence allowed Unitree to show off its innovations in multi-robot coordination and fault recovery - where a robot can get up after falling down.

A familiar pattern from the 2019 crash

The use of robots for entertainment and service is becoming more common in parts of China, with the droids even serving customers at McDonald's. In Shanghai, the machines, supplied by Chinese firm Keenon Robotics, were deployed as part of a trial and hint at a future where bots handle routine tasks at fast food restaurants.

In videos posted online, diners can be seen interacting with cyborgs dressed in the iconic red and yellow uniforms behind counters. One humanoid, wearing a black uniform with the word 'chef', greets members of the public as they arrive.