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    "data": {
        "id": 1763746,
        "msgid": "chinas-catastrophe-leaves-humanity-powerless-1780151998",
        "date": "2026-05-25 17:20:00",
        "title": "China's Catastrophe Leaves Humanity Powerless",
        "author": "",
        "source": "CNBC",
        "tags": "",
        "topic": "Technology",
        "summary": "China's rapid adoption of AI and humanoid robotics is displacing workers, with governments struggling to regulate the sector. Beijing's industrial strategy prioritises these technologies to secure global dominance, raising concerns about future job markets.",
        "content": "<p>Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - Workers are increasingly pressured by the\nwidespread adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) across sectors, with\nmany companies announcing mass layoffs linked to AI implementation.\nOngoing layoffs coupled with weak new hiring has left workers more\nvulnerable. Unfortunately, employee protections in the AI era remain a\nlow priority for governments worldwide. China and Singapore have urged\ncompanies to develop AI for creating meaningful jobs rather than\neliminating them, but these guidelines are not yet binding laws. As a\nresult, many companies appear to ignore workers\u2019 fates in pursuit of\nefficiency gains crucial for profit and business growth. In China,\ntechnology consultant Kenneth Ren of RealMan Intelligent Technology is\ntraining \u2018future workers\u2019\u2014but these are robots, not humans. \u201cWe are\nessentially teaching robots to think independently,\u201d Ren told CNBC\nInternational at the Beijing Humanoid Robot Data Training Centre on\nMonday (25 May 2026). Ren helps run a \u2018humanoid robot school\u2019 in China.\nThe facility aims to accelerate robot development, not just as\nentertainment tools but as productive workforce support. Humanoid robot\ndevelopment is part of the broader industrial strategy championed by\nChina\u2019s Communist Party. Beyond humanoid robots, Beijing targets\nelectric vehicles (EVs) and artificial intelligence (AI) as key future\ntechnologies. Chinese policymakers have prioritised humanoid robots for\ndevelopment by 2030 to secure China\u2019s dominance in global supply chains\nand markets. \u201cChina\u2019s next-generation industrial policy represents a\nshift from sector-specific intervention to \u2018comprehensive industrial\npolicy\u2019\u201d, wrote the US Chamber of Commerce and Rhodium Group research\nfirm in a report dated 11 May. The Beijing humanoid robot centre is\ngovernment-backed and part of a network of similar facilities across\nChina. These centres train robots to operate in various real-world\nscenarios. Fudi Luo is one of hundreds of robot trainers. A former art\nteacher, he instructs humanoid robots to sort items on factory\nproduction lines. Using cameras, controllers, and motion capture, he and\nfellow instructors guide AI robot students through tasks, repeating\nactions multiple times. \u201cInitially, robots had no awareness, so I had to\ncontrol them manually. But once my movements generated data, the robots\nlearned and could perform the tasks themselves,\u201d he said. The robots are\ntrained in skills such as house cleaning, massage, shelf stocking, and\nmetal repair. Luo said his workday typically involves eight hours of\nrepetitive motions. \u201cRobots don\u2019t know fatigue, but I do!\u201d he joked. At\nthe same campus where China promotes robotics, Beijing-based\nInspire-Robots Technology trains robotic hands using motion tracking and\nsensors. Winston Zou, the company\u2019s board secretary, told CNBC\nInternational that a robotic hand typically practises 10,000 times to\nlearn a new skill. \u201cOur robotic hands can now pick up eggs or smaller\nobjects,\u201d Zou said. US Should Be Alert Tesla CEO Elon Musk, in his Q4\n2025 performance report released in January 2026, stated that Optimus\nhumanoid robots are currently more advanced than Chinese-made\ncounterparts in hand design. Musk said robotic hands remain the most\nchallenging aspect to master. However, Musk did not deny China\u2019s\naggressive progress in the field. \u201cSo far, China is the strongest\ncompetitor in humanoid robots. China excels at scaling up\nmanufacturing,\u201d he said. Currently, robots in China are not only trained\nat specialised centres but also deployed directly into real-world\nworkplaces. Many AI-powered robots are being tested for roles such as\nrestaurant chefs, bartenders, waiters, and traffic officers. Many robots\nstill rely on human supervision and direction, but it is only a matter\nof time before they fully take over human tasks. \u201cOur aim is to take\nover tasks dangerous for humans or repetitive jobs people are unwilling\nor afraid to do,\u201d Ren said at the centre. \u201cWe do not intend to replace\nhumans in any field,\u201d he added.<\/p>",
        "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/chinas-catastrophe-leaves-humanity-powerless-1780151998",
        "image": ""
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    "sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
    "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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