Robots dominate China's 'AI temple fair'

Beijing exhibition showcases tech advancements

BEIJING:

A humanoid robot gyrates to pulsing music at a shopping mall in Beijing, part of an exhibition harnessing artificial intelligence to enhance the flavour of China's biggest annual festival.

The country is celebrating the eight-day Lunar New Year holiday that typically sees people return home to eat, drink and make merry with family and friends.

From dragon dances to incense offerings, the festival is also a time to nurture centuries-old traditions - though in this corner of the capital, they come with a high-tech twist.

Billed as an "AI temple fair", the event in Beijing's well-heeled Haidian district is a chance for local technology firms to display their products to the public.

"(Robots) can already do a lot of things, like take things off the shelves and make coffee," said Sophia Wu as she strolled among silicon shop assistants and binary baristas.

"I'd love to have a robot, and then it could do all my chores for me, and that would free up a lot of my time," the 48-year-old housewife and retired engineer told AFP.

A troupe of robots manufactured by Hangzhou-based tech firm Unitree made global headlines this week after they performed a synchronised dance on China's Spring Festival TV gala.

The singular dancer in the mall, however, put on a more modest show, staying rooted on the ground while jerkily swaying its hips and arms.

Described as a "high-quality human imitation robot" called Xiao Xin, it was capable of communicating with people and making tiny adjustments to the expressions on its lifelike prosthetic face, a display placard said.

Nearby, a visitor tentatively asked a life-size humanoid dressed as China's traditional wealth god what it had eaten for breakfast.

"This morning, I enjoyed a hearty breakfast that included fresh fruit, delicious fried eggs, and sweet bread," the robot replied in a resounding baritone, shaking its wispy beard and glittering crimson robe.

"I hope that in the new year, you can also eat healthily and deliciously, and be happy every day."

China leads the world in some advanced technologies and aims to achieve global supremacy in AI by the end of the decade. afp