US public cheers dancing Unitree robots while Congress looks to ban them

A gulf is emerging between how the American public and lawmakers are viewing Chinese robots, analysts say, following a high-profile performance by Chinese robotics champion Unitree’s humanoid robots on US television show America’s Got Talent, which received a standing ovation from the studio audience.

While ratings figures have yet to be announced, the appearance of Unitree’s G1 robots on a prime time American television show in its season premiere could contribute to mainstream acceptance of Chinese robots in the country, even though efforts are under way in Washington to ban them, according to analysts.

In the segment that aired on Tuesday evening local time, eight G1 humanoid robots performed an elaborate dance routine alongside Wu Yufei, a Chinese dancer from Sichuan province. The act was an audition for the talent competition show, broadcast by NBC, in which contestants vie for a grand prize of US$1 million.

Launched in 2006, America’s Got Talent is one of the most popular television shows in the US, with its previous season last summer averaging close to 6 million viewers per episode, according to data from Nielsen.

Competing under the Unitree name, Wu and the robots received unanimous approval to proceed to the next round of the competition from the four-person judging panel, consisting of Simon Cowell, Sofia Vergara, Howie Mandel and Mel B.

The performance was “nuts, but brilliant”, the usually hard-nosed Cowell remarked, while former Spice Girls star Mel B said the robots were “perfect”.

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