Against the backdrop of rising labor costs, the UK retail industry is rapidly moving towards an era of automation. From electronic shelf labels to self-checkout machines, many new technologies are gradually transforming the familiar supermarket shopping experience. With the national minimum wage increase and higher employer national insurance contributions, retailers are significantly increasing their investments in automation technology, hoping to address the rising labor costs by improving production efficiency. Recent holiday trading updates show that investment in automation has become a focal point for major retailers. A survey indicates that nearly one-third of retail financial leaders...

Amidst the wildfires ravaging California, Jim Fan, a scientist from Nvidia, the world's largest artificial intelligence chip manufacturer, proposed using AI robots to combat the flames. However, this suggestion has raised concerns about environmental impact. Fan shared a video on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), showcasing a humanoid robot walking down the streets of China. In his comments, he praised the robot's 'style' and made a call to action.

South Korean electronics giant LG Electronics recently announced at CES 2025 that it will increase its investment in the development of humanoid robots, aiming for breakthroughs in this field using its AI model technology Q9. In recent years, LG has launched a series of service robots, such as the LG CLOi ServeBot and GuideBot, which primarily rely on wheeled mobility and possess limited flexibility and dexterity. LG Electronics CEO Kwon Bong-seok stated at the press conference that robots are the future of humanity.

OpenAI recently announced the launch of its robot project to further explore the development of robotics technology. On January 11, Caitlin Kalinowski, the director of OpenAI's hardware department, revealed on social media that OpenAI would begin developing robots equipped with custom sensors and published related job openings on its official website. This recruitment covers three key positions: Electronic Perception Engineer, Robotics Mechanical Design Engineer, and Technical Project Manager. The primary responsibility of the Electronic Perception Engineer is to design and develop...

At the recent Consumer Electronics Show (CES), NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang delivered an ambitious speech about the future of artificial intelligence and robotics. He stated that the robotics industry is facing a 'trillion-dollar' market opportunity, with rapid growth expected in the coming years. Huang emphasized the application of AI models in various types of robots, particularly humanoid robots and autonomous vehicles. He mentioned that NVIDIA's collaboration with Toyota will advance autonomous driving technology.

In the context of rapid development in the global AI industry, Nvidia made a significant launch of a series of new products and services at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), aimed at helping businesses build AI assistants and robotic work teams. CEO Jensen Huang showcased the powerful capabilities of these AI agents, including the ability to automate task completion, during his keynote speech. He presented animated depictions of himself in various roles, indicating that AI agents can handle.

In a personal investment note released on January 3, 2025, Zhou Yahui, Founder of Kunlun Wanwei, discussed the impact of the Robot Era on social structure. He pointed out that Kunlun Wanwei's mission is to gradually achieve General Artificial Intelligence (AGI) after 2030, with the aim of enabling everyone to better shape and express themselves. Zhou Yahui stated that despite numerous predictions about the realization of AGI both domestically and internationally, he firmly believes that AGI will gradually be realized starting in 2030, at which point robots will officially enter human society. Image source note: image generated by AI.

Recently, X-ORIGIN-AI announced the successful completion of hundreds of millions of RMB in angel round financing, led by Alpha Community, with multiple industry investors participating in the follow-up investment, and Ren Chen Capital serving as the exclusive financial advisor. The funds raised will mainly be used for technology research and development, talent recruitment, and market expansion, aiming to further advance the development and implementation of its all-scenario consumer-grade AI robot products. Image source note: Image generated by AI, image authorized by service provider Midjourney. X-ORIGIN-AI focuses on developing companion robots.

According to reports from Lei Feng Network, BYD's fifteenth business unit has officially launched a humanoid robot project, codenamed 'Yao Shun Yu'. Currently, the project team is continuously recruiting related technical talent, but BYD has not yet made any public response. On December 13, BYD officially released specialized recruitment information for the intelligent research team. This recruitment covers multiple technical fields, including senior algorithm engineers, senior structural engineers, senior simulation engineers, senior robotic engineers, and senior perception algorithm engineers, with work locations primarily distributed in

According to technology media The Information, ChatGPT developer OpenAI is exploring the development of its own humanoid robots. Although OpenAI closed its robotics division in 2021, the company has actively engaged in the robotics field through investments in recent years. Currently, OpenAI has invested in three robotics companies: Figure, 1X, and Physical Intelligence. Among them, Figure AI, founded in 2020, focuses on autonomous general-purpose robotics.

Google DeepMind and robotics company Apptronik have announced a collaboration to combine their technical expertise in developing AI humanoid robots capable of operating in complex dynamic environments. This partnership aims to advance the deep integration of robotic hardware and artificial intelligence, exploring broader possibilities for robots in both industrial and everyday applications. Apptronik has been independently operating since 2016, spun off from the Human Centered Robotics Lab at the University of Texas at Austin, and has developed 15 different robot models to date, including the...

Colin Angle, co-founder and former CEO of iRobot, has announced his return to the robotics field by founding a new startup, Familiar Machines & Magic, focused on developing an innovative home health and wellness robot. According to the Boston Globe, this robot may take the form of an animal or 'pet', aiming to provide companionship to family members while assisting in health management. Familiar Machines & Magic

On December 16, ZhiYuan Robotics announced the official launch of commercial mass production of general-purpose robots, marking the company's transition from the startup phase to industrialization. Since its establishment in February 2022 in the Shanghai Lingang New Area, ZhiYuan Robotics has rapidly grown and released its first humanoid robot, 'Yanzheng A1'. This year, the company plans to achieve large-scale production of robots by 2024 and has built Shanghai's first humanoid robot mass production facility in Lingang Fengxian. Founder Peng Zhihui expressed on social media: 'In two years, we've forged a sword, from inspiration to blueprint, from prototype to mass production, ZhiYuan.'

On December 13, BYD officially released the recruitment guidelines for the Embodied Intelligence research team for the 2025 cohort, revealing that the team has successfully developed and launched multiple innovative robotic products since its establishment in 2022, including industrial robots, collaborative robots, intelligent mobile robots, and humanoid robots. This initiative marks BYD's further investment in the field of embodied intelligence and indicates that the company is accelerating the industrialization of robot technology. As 'Robo+' becomes the strongest industrial trend in the automotive industry chain, BYD will advance robotic technology.

According to reports from Intelligent Emergence, Jiang Xu, the former senior algorithm lead at OpenAI, has announced the establishment of a new company, Light Robotics, focused on the development of embodied smart companion robots. Jiang Xu is a key contributor to GPT-4 and left OpenAI in 2023, founding Light Robotics in August of the same year. Image credit: Image generated by AI, image licensed through Midjourney. Throughout his career at OpenAI, Jiang Xu participated in several important projects.