Emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), drones, and humanoid robots are driving innovation across Asia, with China leading the charge in several key areas, the Financial Times reports.
At the recent Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, AI was once again the dominant topic, showcasing China’s rapid advancements in the field. Meanwhile, global markets are seeing increasing interest in drone technology and robotics as electric vehicles (EVs) and smartphones experience a slowdown.
At MWC, major Chinese tech firms demonstrated their latest AI-powered applications. Telecom giant China Unicom showcased a photo station that could transform snapshots into historical portraits using its Yuanjing large language model. iFlytek, China’s leading speech-recognition technology provider, introduced a tool that can generate short movies in seconds from just a few words of input. Additionally, China Mobile’s AsiaInfo displayed an AI-powered health monitoring system capable of measuring a person’s heartbeat and breathing rate using only a camera.
These innovations highlight China’s aggressive push into AI, raising questions about the sustainability of its local chip industry. A US chip executive at the event expressed curiosity about China’s semiconductor progress, asking whether domestic chip solutions are being widely adopted and how Chinese companies can sell at such competitive prices.
Beyond AI, drones and humanoid robots are gaining traction as the next major technology trends. In South Korea, demand for drones is rising as the country seeks to expand its fleet in response to security threats from North Korea. Ukrainian and Israeli drone manufacturers, leveraging battlefield experience, are also targeting Asian markets. The Korea Institute of Aviation Safety Technology projects that the global drone market will grow by 62.6% from 2023, reaching nearly $55 billion by 2030.
Humanoid robots have also become a key focus area. In March, Beijing identified humanoid robotics as the next major innovation following EVs. Tech giants like Tesla are investing heavily in this space, with the company’s Optimus project aiming to develop functional humanoid robots. However, experts caution that the technology is still evolving. In an interview with Nikkei Asia, Agility Robotics CEO Peggy Johnson highlighted the challenges of making humanoid robots safe for human interaction and the need for real-time data to train these systems effectively.
Despite ongoing tensions between the US and China, wealthy Chinese investors are quietly funneling millions of dollars into private companies controlled by Elon Musk, including SpaceX and xAI. These investments are being made through special-purpose vehicles (SPVs), which help shield investor identities from public scrutiny.
Asset managers in China have reportedly raised over $30 million from Chinese investors for Musk’s companies in the past two years. While SPVs are legal and commonly used in financing, the increasing involvement of Chinese investors in high-profile US tech ventures has raised concerns about potential influence and conflicts of interest, particularly given Musk’s political ties.
Japanese telecom leader NTT is making a bold move in AI infrastructure by investing in fully optical communications, a technology that could significantly reduce power consumption in data centers. The company claims that its Innovative Optical and Wireless Network could cut AI data center energy use to just 1% of current levels. However, widespread adoption remains uncertain, as integrating optical technology into existing data center infrastructure presents technical challenges.
China’s AI industry has found its latest rising star in Manus AI, a relatively unknown company that recently made headlines by claiming to have developed the world’s first “general AI agent.” According to a demonstration video, the Manus AI agent can perform complex tasks such as resume screening, real estate research, and stock analysis.
The company claims its model outperforms OpenAI’s ChatGPT across multiple benchmark tests. However, some industry experts are skeptical, suggesting that the hype surrounding Manus AI may be driven more by marketing than by a true technological breakthrough. Despite these concerns, investor enthusiasm remains strong, with growing financial backing for China’s AI sector.
