China is positioning robotics as a core pillar of its AI strategy in its next five-year plan, shifting emphasis from software to hardware. It plans to unveil next-generation robots at the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference. Analysts expect large subsidies and rising private investment, while China’s production share is seen as dominant. Industry groups and research institutes say gaps remain between demos and real-world use, and costs and dependencies persist.

Russia held a demonstration of the country’s first humanoid robot wedding at the Pushkin Library in Moscow, designed to publicise its humanoid-robot development capabilities. Two robots made by IT-Imperial, Robert and Matilda, exchanged AI-generated vows and swapped bracelets instead of rings. The event had no legal status. Images spread on social media and revived debate about robot use in education, entertainment and customer service.