I spent a day at a robot “carnival” in Shanghai. Here’s what I saw.
China's embodied AI push is moving off the lab bench and into public view. Here's what that deployment moment looks like.
Why it matters
A dispatch from Shanghai's robot carnival illustrates China's strategy to embed AI into physical systems as policy priority, signaling where embodied AI deployment is heading—and how differently it's being pursued across regions.
The key facts
9 to knowEmbodied AI is a key pillar of China's latest five-year plan
China claims ~90% leadership in humanoid robotics (specific claim incomplete in excerpt)
Humanoid robots are being positioned for daily-life integration, not just industrial use
Public carnival format suggests acceleration from pilot to mainstream deployment narrative
Nearly 90% of world's humanoid robots deployed in China
Embodied AI is explicit strategic priority in China's five-year plan
Deployment is framed as bringing AI into 'daily life'—factories, services, infrastructure
Companies in China are already world leaders in humanoid robotics
Event-based reporting (carnival/showcase) suggests rapid commercialization, not pilot phase
Go to the source
MIT Technology Reviewtechnologyreview.com
Publisher excerpt: Humanoid robots are having a moment in China. The popular machines are part of the country’s strategy to bring artificial intelligence into daily life. Embedding the technology into physical systems—an idea called embodied AI—was a key facet of China’s latest five-year plan, and companies here are…