Unitree Robotics founder delivers speeches at the 2026 World Physical AI Conference and Unitree Partner Ecosystem Conference in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang Province. Photo: VCG

Unitree Robotics founder Wang Xingxing said on Thursday that physical AI was beginning to show signs of a major technological breakthrough, with embodied AI potentially reaching its "ChatGPT moment" as early as 2027 -  when a complex idea breaks out of research labs and into wider use, Singapore's Lianhe Zaobao reported - signaling growing confidence in the technology's prospects despite persistent challenges in turning advances into reliable, commercially viable applications.

Speaking at the 2026 World Physical AI Conference and Unitree Partner Ecosystem Conference in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang Province, Wang said physical AI was showing early signs of a major breakthrough, which could arrive within one to three years, according to the report.

Wang said a central challenge was aligning AI models' inputs and outputs with the physical actions of robots, a critical step toward enabling machines to perform tasks autonomously in unfamiliar environments.

He previously described the industry's defining milestone as the point at which robots could adapt to most unfamiliar environments and independently complete the majority of practical tasks using voice or text instructions.

Wang's latest remarks come as China's humanoid robotics industry moves beyond demonstrations toward early commercial applications, supported by advances in hardware, AI models and manufacturing capabilities.

According to market research firm IDC, global humanoid robot shipments exceeded 18,000 units in 2025, led by Chinese manufacturers. However, more than 85 percent of deployments were concentrated in performances, education, data collection and guided tours, rather than large-scale industrial operations. 

The gap between technological demonstrations and practical deployment remains considerable. In January, research firm Gartner predicted that fewer than 20 companies worldwide would move humanoid robots into production-stage manufacturing and supply-chain applications by 2028, citing limitations in dexterity, adaptability, battery life and cost-effectiveness. 

The International Federation of Robotics has also emphasized that humanoid robots must meet demanding industrial requirements for reliability, efficiency, energy consumption and maintenance costs before they can compete with conventional automation. 

For China's rapidly expanding robotics industry, the next stage of competition will likely depend not only on how well robots walk, run or perform complex movements, but also on whether they can consistently complete useful tasks in factories, warehouses and other real-world environments, industry observers said.Wang's prediction points to the industry's technological ambitions, but achieving a genuine "ChatGPT moment" will ultimately require robots to demonstrate not just greater intelligence, but also the reliability and affordability needed for widespread adoption, observers noted.

Unitree, which made its debut on Shanghai's STAR Market on August 19, has also attracted considerable investor attention. Its shares surged 16.15 percent on Monday, -- their biggest single-day gain since the listing, excluding the debut session - lifting the company's market capitalization back above 200 billion yuan ($29.96 billion). 

The company's shares closed up 0.97 percent at 520 yuan per share on Thursday.

Despite the market enthusiasm, Unitree itself has cautioned against excessive optimism. On Wednesday, the company warned that the humanoid robotics industry remains in the early stages of commercialization, with uncertainties surrounding technological maturity, market demand and supply-chain development. It also noted that its price-to-earnings ratio stood at 388.25 as of Tuesday, far above the industry average of 39.51, highlighting potential valuation risks if large-scale commercial adoption falls short of expectations.

Global Times