Unitree CEO Reveals When Robots Could Reach Their ‘ChatGPT Moment’

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Unitree founder Wang Xingxing said humanoid robots will reach their “ChatGPT moment” in 2 to 10 years, a window spanning 2028 to 2036.

Wang spoke on Thursday at the World Robot Conference in Beijing, one day after his company went public. At the same event last year, he put the same breakthrough less than five years out.

Unitree CEO Says Robots Are Nearing Their ‘ChatGPT Moment’

Wang said the sector’s defining “ChatGPT moment” would come when a robot could enter an unfamiliar home and complete roughly 80% of everyday tasks based solely on text or voice instructions.

According to a CNBC translation of his Mandarin-language speech, Wang estimated that the milestone could arrive within two to three years if things move fast. However, a slower trajectory could push it out to five to 10 years.

“We are marching towards a ‘ChatGPT moment’ in embodied intelligence,” Wang said.

Wang He, founder of Chinese robotics startup Galbot, offered a closer timeline.

“With continued accumulation of data and further technological breakthroughs, we expect to reach the ‘ChatGPT moment’ for embodied intelligence by 2028,” he noted.

The commercial stakes are already visible. Morgan Stanley estimates that roughly 19,000 humanoid robots were shipped globally in the first half of 2026, a 272% increase from a year earlier. Chinese manufacturers accounted for 97% of those shipments.

The bank expects China’s humanoid shipments to reach 50,000 units this year, up sharply from 12,000 in 2025. Crypto capital is also watching that curve. Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino called Unitree the company to watch in robotics.

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Unitree Stock Pulls Back After IPO Surge

The comments came a day after Unitree made its Shanghai stock market debut. The stock opened 629% above its IPO price on Wednesday, as previously reported by BeInCrypto.

The rally lost some momentum on Thursday. Unitree shares closed at 687 yuan, down 19%, according to LSEG data cited by CNBC.

Nomura initiated coverage on Wednesday with a buy rating and a 370-yuan price target. The target sits now well below Unitree’s market price.

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