The "2026 Finance Annual Conference: Predictions and Strategies & 2025 Global Wealth Management Forum" was held in Beijing from December 18 to 20, 2025. Zhou Jian, founder, chairman, and CEO of UBTECH ROBOTICS, pointed out that there are still numerous "compliant manufacturing" scenarios in the current manufacturing sector—particularly in automotive assembly lines and parts factories—where traditional industrial robotic arms and collaborative robotic arms fall short, leaving simple, monotonous, and repetitive tasks heavily reliant on human labor.
Zhou revealed that after visiting over 70 factories this year, he observed many workers enduring physically demanding tasks, such as frequent bending or lifting heavy objects weighing 15-20 kilograms, which impose long-term physical strain. Additionally, roles like forklift drivers and sorters involve highly repetitive tasks, leading to low interest among younger workers. These gaps create vast opportunities for humanoid robots.
In his view, humanoid robots hold unique advantages over wheeled robots in complex environments. In scenarios like narrow workspaces or stair navigation at factories such as Geely's Zeekr, humanoid robots demonstrate superior obstacle avoidance and terrain adaptability. They are already capable of handling core tasks like intelligent transport, sorting, and quality inspection. Zhou emphasized that even before the full implementation of embodied AI world models, humanoid robots have proven their adaptability in structured industrial settings, becoming a crucial solution to alleviate labor intensity and fill workforce shortages.
"I’ve always believed the future of humanity lies in human-robot coexistence. While humanoid robots may not be the only form, they will undoubtedly be the most versatile, scalable, and capable of handling diverse scenarios—even emotional interactions with humans. This vision is gradually becoming reality," he said.
To advance applications in household settings, UBTECH ROBOTICS has partnered with Daojia (an online home services platform), leveraging its network of millions of domestic workers to identify real-world needs—such as cooking, cleaning, and other chores—and refine robots' home-service capabilities through data accumulation. Zhou is confident that with technological advancements and mass production, humanoid robots will eventually enter households worldwide, replacing tedious labor and enhancing quality of life.
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