David Muir comes face-to-face with humanoid robots in China
With President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping's high-stakes summit underway in Beijing, the global race to lead on Artificial Intelligence and robotics technology is on too.
On a mission to find the robots, "World News Tonight" anchor and managing editor David Muir traveled to one of the biggest AI Developer Conferences in China to see the machines firsthand.
Standing at 5 feet 5 inches tall and weighing in at 121 pounds, Chinese robotics company Limx Dynamics' G1 humanoid robot, named Oli, marched forward.
"The future is walking right towards us," Muir said.
Developers said Oli is programmed to do household chores such as folding clothes, washing dishes, cleaning the house and even making the bed.
They told Muir that this is just the start.
Unlike other robots, Oli can mimic human waist and hip movements, giving it the ability to lay down and sit back up on its own -- a major technical leap in the world of robotics.
Beyond daily domestic tasks, Oli's flexibility successfully underwent extreme tests.
From walking through deep snow in Northwestern China in Arctic-level temperatures, to moving on rollerblades and ice skates, developers have high hopes for their G1 humanoid robots.
Limx Dynamics said that Oli will not only help at home, but also in factory labor. Oli won't replace humans, the developer assured, but will instead take on some of the work that humans do.
"I mean, I can still fold faster than the robot," Muir said.
The U.S. is building robots too, but some estimate that Chinese humanoid robots account for nearly 80% of sales worldwide.
So who is winning the artificial intelligence race when it comes to robotics: China or America?
"It has to be China," a conference-goer told Muir.
"You say to the American," Muir responded with a smile.
Just this week, Limx Dynamics revealed their newest model, the GD-01, which transitions from two to four legs and is able to carry a human.
The newest frontier in AI "certainly makes you sit up straight," Muir said of his journey and coming face-to-face with humanoid robot Oli.
