He Cooks, Carries Boxes, and Could Steal Millions of Jobs: China's Humanoid Robot Challenges Tesla and Promises to Change the World As We Know It

He Cooks, Carries Boxes, and Could Steal Millions of Jobs: China’s Humanoid Robot Challenges Tesla and Promises to Change the World As We Know It

Written by Débora Araújo

Published on 16/09/2025 at 08:00

Ele cozinha, carrega caixas e pode roubar milhões de empregos: robô humanoide da China desafia Tesla e promete mudar o mundo como conhecemos

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First Humanoid of Ant Group, Giant Linked to Jack Ma, the Robbyant R1 Prepares Shrimps, Acts as Caregiver and Tourist Guide, and Puts China in the Global Race for Robotics.

The Ant Group, known worldwide for being Jack Ma’s financial arm and responsible for the Alipay platform, surprised the tech sector by introducing the Robbyant R1, its first humanoid robot. The announcement marks the entry of the Chinese company into a highly competitive segment, contested by giants like Tesla, owned by Elon Musk. The model was revealed to the public at two major events: IFA 2025, held in Berlin, and the Inclusion Conference 2025, in Shanghai.

Cooking Robot Impresses at IFA 2025

The standout feature of the Robbyant R1 so far has been its culinary performance. During the IFA fair in Berlin, the humanoid prepared shrimps live for the audience, drawing attention for the delicacy of its movements and interaction with spectators.

Although the culinary act is seen as an initial “trick,” the demonstration opened up possibilities for imagining more complex applications in restaurants, industrial kitchens, and even in domestic routines.

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW

Potential Beyond the Kitchen

According to the manufacturer, Shanghai Ant Lingbo Technology Co., the R1 is designed to go far beyond cooking. Among the envisioned functions are:

Companion and caregiver in hospitals and nursing homes;
Automated tour guide, operating in museums, airports, or high-traffic destinations;
Assistant in restaurants and community centers, helping with public service.

This range of possibilities positions the humanoid as a key player in China’s strategy to gain prominence in the global robotics market.

Visible Limitations and Criticism

Despite the enthusiasm, the videos shown during the IFA 2025 revealed significant limitations.
In one of the recordings, the Robbyant R1 was seen moving a box across the counter at an extremely slow pace, raising doubts about its efficiency in tasks that require speed.

Experts emphasize that the field of humanoid robotics is often marked by ambitious promises and slow progress. Even simple tasks, such as opening a door or climbing stairs, still present complex technical challenges.

Testing in Restaurants and Community Centers

Before a commercial launch, the Robbyant R1 undergoes a controlled testing phase.
In China, it is already being evaluated in restaurants and community centers, where engineers observe its performance in direct contact with users.

This process aims to refine its capabilities, correct faults, and adjust response speed—critical points to make it useful in everyday life.

Global Competition for Humanoid Robotics

The Ant Group’s initiative comes at a time when several companies are ramping up investments in AI-powered robots. Tesla, owned by Elon Musk, is advancing the development of Optimus, introduced in 2022, but still limited in its functions.

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Japanese companies like Honda and SoftBank have previously introduced humanoids, such as the iconic ASIMO, but the models did not achieve commercial success. Now, with the advancement of generative AI and machine learning, experts believe humanoid robotics may finally overcome decades of frustrations.

China in the Robotics Race

With the launch of the R1, China positions itself strategically in the sector, combining large-scale production capacity, strong state investment in AI, and a massive internal market for testing.
If it succeeds in turning the Robbyant R1 into a viable commercial product, the Ant Group could outpace Western competitors.

The robot symbolizes not only a business bet but also China’s ambition to lead the next technological revolution.

He cooks, carries boxes, and may steal millions of jobs: humanoid robot from China challenges Tesla and promises to change the world as we know it

Still without a price or official launch date, the Robbyant R1 continues in development.
Even with visible limitations, it represents a milestone: the entry of one of the largest financial technology companies in the world into a sector that could redefine the relationship between humans and machines.

Whether in the kitchen, in hospitals, or in tourism, the humanoid from Ant Group shows that the race for artificial intelligence in physical form is just beginning.

He Cooks, Carries Boxes, and Could Steal Millions of Jobs: China’s Humanoid Robot Challenges Tesla and Promises to Change the World As We Know It

First Humanoid of Ant Group, Giant Linked to Jack Ma, the Robbyant R1 Prepares Shrimps, Acts as Caregiver and Tourist Guide, and Puts China in the Global Race for Robotics.

Cooking Robot Impresses at IFA 2025

Potential Beyond the Kitchen

Visible Limitations and Criticism

Testing in Restaurants and Community Centers

Global Competition for Humanoid Robotics

China in the Robotics Race

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He Cooks, Carries Boxes, and Could Steal Millions of Jobs: China’s Humanoid Robot Challenges Tesla and Promises to Change the World As We Know It

First Humanoid of Ant Group, Giant Linked to Jack Ma, the Robbyant R1 Prepares Shrimps, Acts as Caregiver and Tourist Guide, and Puts China in the Global Race for Robotics.

Cooking Robot Impresses at IFA 2025

Potential Beyond the Kitchen

Visible Limitations and Criticism

Testing in Restaurants and Community Centers

Global Competition for Humanoid Robotics

China in the Robotics Race

The Soviet Union spent 22 years drilling into the Earth’s crust and reached a depth of 12,262 meters — they found water where it was thought impossible, hydrogen bubbling from the rock, granite that is 2.7 billion years old, and temperatures of 180 degrees that melted the drill bits.

Ethiopia has banned gasoline and diesel cars, placed over a hundred silent electric buses on the streets of Addis Ababa, and now aims for half a million electric vehicles by 2030, all powered by Africa’s largest dam and a courage that few countries have shown.

Egypt wants to draw 10 million cubic meters of water from the Nile per day into the desert, irrigate a new agricultural frontier, and build a city where there is currently only sand.

Norway is drilling 27 kilometers of rock 392 meters below the bottom of a fjord to build the world’s largest and deepest underwater road tunnel — when completed, a 21-hour journey will be reduced to 10.

An astronaut spent 340 days in space while his twin brother stayed on Earth, and NASA found a “rejuvenating” effect, genes, microbiome, cognition, and immune system that revealed the biological cost of living outside the planet.

Chinese engineers begin filling a 217-meter dam at an altitude of 3,000 meters and prepare a 2,240 MW hydroelectric power plant to integrate hydropower, solar, and wind energy in the upper Jinsha.

Researchers walked 4.6 kilometers through the sertão of Paraíba and found hundreds of rock carvings scattered across rocks — what could be Brazil’s largest archaeological site was hidden on a rural property 20 km from Catolé do Rocha.

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Researchers walked 4.6 kilometers through the sertão of Paraíba and found hundreds of rock carvings scattered across rocks — what could be Brazil’s largest archaeological site was hidden on a rural property 20 km from Catolé do Rocha.

Canadian company drills almost 100 km of wells up to 4.5 km deep, transforms an abandoned geothermal field into a giant underground radiator, and enables Germany to receive electricity from a closed-loop geothermal system on the public grid for the first time.

11 consecutive years among the hottest ever recorded place the planet at a new level of alert, and the World Meteorological Organization points out that extreme heat, intense rainfall, cyclones, and melting ice are already pressuring economies, cities, and supply systems on a global scale.

A United States soldier who was on the mission to capture Nicolás Maduro bet hours before the official announcement, profited over US$400,000 on a prediction platform, and now faces federal charges.

More than 100 scientists warn that India, China, the United States, Mediterranean countries, and parts of Africa could enter an era of persistent droughts by the end of the century, with rivers under stress, demand exceeding supply, and a growing risk of continuous water scarcity.