Applications: Robotics

China and US Vying for Control of Humanoid Robot Market

The humanoid robot battle pits US AI leadership against China's manufacturing scale and critical resource control. China is strategically pursuing self-reliance and supply chain capture to dominate this potentially $8 tn market.

The strategic advantage of the US rests heavily on the robotʼs ‘brainʼ, specifically foundational AI models GenAI, LLMs) and advanced AI chips. China generally lags behind the US in cutting-edge computing power essential for training and deploying sophisticated embodied AI. This is enforced by US export controls since 2022, which strategically deny Chinese competitorsʼ direct access to advanced AI chips required for true fluid, complex motion and real-time environment understanding.

China counter-leverages this vulnerability:

maintaining overwhelming control over rare earth and battery supply chains

manufacturing scale and supply chain depth enable unparalleled speed, flexibility and cost advantages in hardware production

highly coordinated national policy strategy

See the China section for wider commentary on Chinaʼs humanoid robot industry. Source: Content & analysis provided by CRU Group Distinguished Partner). For more information, visit crugroup.com

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