The Chinese government is pushing for mass production of humanoid robots as soon as possible. The reason – lack of labor.
As reported by the South China Morning Post, the country’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) issued a nine-page decree calling on the country’s manufacturing sector to “establish a humanoid robot innovation system, make breakthroughs in several key technologies and ensure that safe and efficient supply of essential components is possible by 2025 and the achievement of technological leadership by 2027.”
The ministry also called for these robots to be able to be used in “harsh” and dangerous environments. Moreover, they must be powered by advanced artificial intelligence.
According to analysts, the decision is aimed at dealing with the impending collapse in China’s population.
The one-child-per-family policy of the end of the last century may soon have an effect – halving the Asian country’s population.
The negative result of this would be a large-scale collapse in production and the economy.
The introduction of humanoid robots may be an attempt to save productivity and the economy.
However, others claim that Beijing’s decision is a response to the Pentagon’s initiative to introduce robotic soldiers.
As far back as 2014, reports surfaced that the US military was considering replacing human soldiers with robots in the coming decades, although almost 10 years later the plan is still in the theoretical phase.
Unlike its American counterparts, China acknowledged at the council that to reach the level of mass production they seek, humanoid robot technology must be “significantly improved” so as to “form a safe and reliable industrial chain system for supplies, an industrial ecology with international competitiveness will be built.”
