Ant Group Co., backed by Jack Ma, has showcased its first humanoid robot, formally stepping into the growing competition among Chinese companies to challenge the United States in advancing frontier technology.
The company’s unit, Shanghai Ant Lingbo Technology Co., also known as Robbyant, presented its R1 humanoid model at the 2025 Inclusion Conference on the Bund in Shanghai. The R1 is designed for multiple roles including serving as a tour guide, sorting medicine at pharmacies, offering medical consultations, and handling basic kitchen tasks.
Ant is the latest major company to enter the humanoid robotics field, which already includes global players such as Tesla Inc. and rising Chinese firms like Unitree Robotics. China, with a higher density of robots per human in factories than both the United States and Japan, is now preparing humanoids for more complex tasks.
Unlike other companies that emphasise hardware, Ant is focusing on developing the intelligence of humanoids. The company sees these robots as a gateway to expanding the use of AI chatbots and assistants. According to Zhu Xing, Chief Executive Officer of Robbyant, large AI models will soon reshape how people interact with machines.
“If humanoid robots are used in homes, they won’t just help with everyday tasks, they’ll act like super-smart brains, tapping into cloud-based AI to assist with even more things,” said Zhu. “It makes sense for Ant to be doing this because our goal is to make people’s lives easier, whether it be in payments, finance or digital public services.”
Although best known for its Alipay payments system, Ant has been investing heavily in artificial intelligence to strengthen its competitiveness in an era shaped by ChatGPT and DeepSeek. It is currently developing its own large language model, BaiLing, and testing training methods using cheaper, domestically produced semiconductors.
The R1 humanoid has been built using components from Chinese suppliers. These include Ti5 Robot for joint modules and Galaxea AI, which is backed by Ant, for the chassis. Sources also said the company is in talks with Unitree and Orbbec Inc., though Ant and its partners have not responded to queries on these details.
“The actual physical manufacturing can probably be outsourced relatively easily, but developing a sound and scalable model is key,” said Andy Mok, a Beijing based senior research fellow at the Center for China and Globalization. “One of the most important prerequisites will be the AI model and not necessarily the manufacturing or engineering. China has formidable competitors in this space.”
According to Ant, the R1’s AI enables it to plan and perform end to end tasks such as preparing and serving meals. The system can also learn new recipes and adapt to various kitchen tools like woks and stoves, thanks to its ability to understand spatial relationships between objects. Common news sources have not independently verified these claims.
Currently, Ant is testing the R1 in community care centres and restaurants rather than selling it directly to consumers. A price has not yet been announced. Over time, the company aims to develop companion and caregiver robots that can provide medical support and household assistance.
Ant, which has invested in Unitree and explored AI applications in healthcare, recently launched an app called AQ to analyse medical reports and offer doctor recommendations. Earlier this year, it also acquired Chinese online healthcare platform Haodf.com.
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