Humanoid robots sold in China as lifelike AI partners are drawing criticism from the people who ordered them, The Standard reported on 8 November. Buyers are questioning whether machines priced like cars deliver enough to justify the cost, and the sector's flagship product is on course to ship a fraction of what its maker promised.
What we know
The Standard's report centres on UBTech Robotics and its U1 series, launched on 30 June and delivered from September. According to the paper, prices run from 119,800 yuan to 990,000 yuan, with a 185cm male model and a 168cm female model, both running on the company's in-house emotional AI model.
Buyers who were impressed by silicone skin and eye contact on exhibition stands have since complained of stiff expressions, slow reactions and short running time, the paper said. Most versions cannot walk unaided or do housework, and the top model lasts two to four hours per charge.
UBTech took more than 13,361 pre-sale orders and management pledged at least 10,000 deliveries this year, The Standard reported. In September founder Zhou Jian conceded that 2026 deliveries might reach only 1,500 to 2,000 units. Early customers named in the report include two Chinese car dealership groups and a South Korean robot park. Economist Pan Helin told sister title Sing Tao Daily that the shortfall reflects weak underlying demand rather than production limits.
The paper also noted that China's interim rules on anthropomorphic AI interaction services, in force since 15 July, apply to companion robots and bar services that foster addiction or emotional dependence.
Why it matters
The U1 is the most visible test so far of whether companionship can carry a hardware price tag. The Standard describes today's products as essentially a realistic shell wrapped around a large language model, which means buyers are paying a steep premium for a body that adds little to what a phone app already offers in conversation. If the pre-order book converts as poorly as the founder's own estimate implies, that is a warning for anyone forecasting embodied companions from headline order numbers.
It also shows the regulatory perimeter widening. Rules written with chat apps in mind now reach physical products, so hardware makers inherit the same duties around dependence and sensitive data, including conversation logs and facial images, that app operators face.
What to watch
UBTech's full-year delivery figure, and whether rivals among China's 140-plus humanoid makers reposition companion models at lower prices or with narrower claims.
Written by the AI Companion Wire newsroom from public reporting, credited above. Image via The Standard (HK).
