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“Doing the robot” just got a whole new meaning…
A few weeks ago, humanoid robots gathered in Beijing to do something that would’ve sounded ridiculous a decade ago.
They boxed. They danced. They competed in martial arts. Some fell flat on their faces. Others ran surprisingly fast, including robots that reportedly topped Usain Bolt’s 100-meter pace.
It was the second World Humanoid Robot Games, and much of it was entertaining. But two days after the competition ended, China’s military looked at those same robots and saw something very different.
Soldiers.
According to a new Reuters investigation, China’s People’s Liberation Army is accelerating research into using humanoid robots in warfare. Reuters reviewed more than 100 military procurement notices, academic studies, patents, government documents, and other records showing China’s defense establishment is actively studying how humanoids could eventually operate alongside soldiers.
This is no longer about building robots that can fold laundry or work on an assembly line.
We’re talking about robots going to war.
Before anyone starts picturing The Terminator, there’s an important distinction to make.
Reuters found no evidence that China has deployed armed humanoid robots with operational military units. Today’s humanoids still have serious limitations involving battery life, reliability, perception, and their ability to operate in unpredictable environments.
But China is clearly preparing for what comes next.
One military study modeled an urban assault scenario in which six robots – including humanoids, robot dogs, and unmanned vehicles – operate alongside soldiers to clear an enemy-held building floor by floor. The researchers estimated that the necessary technology could become available within five to 10 years.
Other Chinese research has explored robots infiltrating enemy lines, mapping terrain, locating targets, conducting reconnaissance, and handling dangerous missions. China’s state-owned defense conglomerate, Norinco, has even developed a full-size humanoid called Fuxi designed for sentry duty, reconnaissance, and hazardous operations.
That tells me something important as an investor.
Humanoid robotics is no longer just a labor story. It’s becoming a national-security story.
The robots themselves get most of the attention. But the real breakthrough is what’s happening inside them.
A humanoid needs to see its surroundings, understand what it’s looking at, maintain balance, navigate unfamiliar terrain, manipulate objects, and make decisions in real time. That requires cameras, sensors, semiconductors, actuators, and motors.
Increasingly, it also requires AI.
That’s why I’ve referred to humanoid robotics as physical AI. Generative AI can answer a question or create an image. Physical AI takes intelligence out of the computer and gives it the ability to interact with the real world.
The battlefield could become one of its most important applications.
We’re already seeing an early version in Ukraine, where AI-assisted drones are changing reconnaissance and warfare. Ground robots are being used to transport supplies and retrieve casualties. The next logical step is giving those machines greater mobility and intelligence.
Here’s the part American investors should pay attention to.
China reportedly accounted for approximately 95% of global humanoid robot shipments in 2025. That gives the country an enormous manufacturing ecosystem that can potentially be leveraged by its military.
The United States understands the stakes.
Last year, the U.S. Army launched a competition specifically seeking “militarized humanoid capabilities.” Potential applications include reconnaissance, security, obstacle clearing, hazardous-material operations, and offensive and defensive missions in urban environments. Up to 10 finalists were expected to test their systems with military experts this year.
That creates another technological arms race between the world’s two largest economies.
We’ve already seen it with semiconductors, AI, quantum computing, drones, and critical minerals. Now robotics is being added to the list.
And I don’t believe governments will be shy about spending money.
That doesn’t mean I’m rushing out tomorrow to buy every company building a humanoid.
Quite the opposite.
Many of the biggest humanoid companies remain private, and nobody yet knows which robot design will ultimately win. But every advanced robot needs many of the same underlying technologies: AI computing, sensors, optics, motors, actuators, specialty materials, and enormous amounts of data.
That’s where some of the best opportunities will emerge.
It’s the same picks-and-shovels strategy we’ve used throughout previous technological revolutions.
You don’t always need to predict the company that builds the winning product. Sometimes it’s better to own the companies supplying the technology that every competitor needs.
There are still massive technical hurdles before humanoid robots become common on battlefields. Even Chinese military researchers acknowledge that costs must fall and movement, perception, and intelligence must improve dramatically.
But five or 10 years isn’t very long in investing.
A month ago, we watched robots dance and fall over in Beijing. China’s military watched the exact same event and started thinking about what those machines could do on a battlefield.
That’s the kind of innovational thinking I pay attention to.
Because the next arms race may not simply be about who builds the best AI.
It may be about who gives that AI the best body.
