Will a cube robot soon make tea and wash dishes?

Will a cube robot soon make tea and wash dishes?

Macau, China – AlphaBot 2 aims to beat humans at their own game. When the robot is asked if it wants to roll dice, it can interpret the request and act immediately - by pressing the button on an automatic dice roller that spins a dice. The humanoid robot can even respond with a thumbs up when its opponent wins.

Insights into AlphaBot 2

The humanoid robot, developed by Shenzhen, China-based AI² Robotics, demonstrated its capabilities at the recent Beyond Expo in the Macao Special Administrative Region. There he played together with participants of the technology conference, including journalists from CNN.

The power of embodied AI

The robot's ability to understand instructions has been made possible by embodied artificial intelligence (AI) - an integration of AI systems into physical objects that allows it to interact with and learn from the environment.

“In the last era of robots, people had to tell them what to do,” said Yandong Guo, CEO of AI² Robotics, in an interview with CNN reporter Kristie Lu Stout on the sidelines of the conference. “Today you just say what to do and the robot understands the environment.” Guo added that the robot only needed a few minutes to learn the game. “We simply show the robot what to do – maybe five to 10 examples – and the robot can learn.”

A look at the future of embodied AI

While AI chatbots like ChatGPT are now widely used, many experts believe that embodied AI is the next big advancement in this field. Companies around the world are developing humanoid robots with AI, including Tesla and California-based Figure AI, which is backed by major technology companies such as Microsoft and Nvidia.

In China, embodied AI is receiving serious national support, including funding, Innovation centers and even a robot school. Shenzhen alone is home to more than 200 companies focused on this technology, such as local media report.

Robotics in everyday life

Today, robots are already being used in industrial environments around the world, such as in automobile factories. Many robots are programmed to perform routine tasks, but the trend is toward embodied AI, explains Harry Yang, assistant professor at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. “As tasks become more complex, you need robots that can see, understand and act based on different situations,” he says.

AlphaBot 2, equipped with AI² Robotics' self-developed embodied AI model, already has customers in industrial services, biotechnology and public services, the company said. At a factory owned by automaker Dongfeng Liuzhou Motor Co., he loads and unloads materials, pulls cars and puts stickers on windshields.

The future of robotics in the home

Guo hopes the robot can one day move out of the factory and into the home. However, most robots currently lack the technical sophistication to be useful in the home. Publicly traded UBTech Robotics plans to unveil a $20,000 household companion this year, reports Bloomberg, but the company said the technology is years away from helping with everyday tasks and caring for people.

The challenge is collecting enough training data to simulate people's different living environments, experts say. But Morgan Stanley estimates that about 80 million humanoid robots could be in use in homes by 2050 as technology continues to develop.

Visions for everyday life

Guo already imagines how his robots could help consumers: "If you want to drink some tea, the robot could know where to find the tea bag, get hot water and pour it into the cup to make tea for you." However, that's not all. "After dinner, I hope our robot will clear all the dishes for us. We like to cook, but we don't like to clean up."

Challenges and future prospects

However, the reality Guo envisions is still a long way off. Prices need to be reduced. AI² did not want to name a price for its humanoids because the robots are custom-made and therefore do not have a fixed price. Humanoids from other companies in China cost almost $15,000, and in five years the price of an AI² humanoid could be reduced to the level of an entry-level car affordable to a middle-class family, a spokesman says.

“The challenge is that it is very expensive to produce a robot,” explains Yang. “Maybe you would prefer to hire someone (to do the work in your home), it’s cheaper and easier.” Safety is also a major concern; a robot that tips over, could hurt someone. Experts also raise privacy concerns when a household robot collects data through cameras and microphones.

Guo explains that Chinese consumers have some fears about the use of humanoid robots. The company takes security and privacy into account when developing its products, but adds: “There are many customers in China who are willing to buy robots.” Yang says it could be another five to 10 years before humanoid robots are truly useful in the home.

Outlook on the development of robotics

AI² Robotics announced that its robots will be deployed at airports in major Chinese cities in the third quarter of 2025 to perform tasks such as organizing luggage carts for passengers. In three to five years they could be ready for retirement homes, he says.

The robots will learn as they go. “We need to collect a lot of data for the robot to learn, to develop this kind of common sense,” he explains. This could help the company get closer to its goal: “Our dream is to have a robot for every family,” he says.