Your author has participated in many half marathons (and has a sub-1h30 PB) but has never raced against a robot. However, the runners that recently lined up at the start of the Beijing half marathon would have found themselves competing with bipedal humanoid opponents. A field of 20,000 participants featured 20 or so robots. Perhaps most unerringly, many ‘looked’ quite human, dressed in vests and shorts. Few, however, finished the course, although the leading robot managed to complete the 13-mile distance in under three hours.
This is a sign of things to come – and the robots’ times should improve too. We made the case earlier this year for the rise of the humanoid robot, a future trend that will only accelerate as hardware and software benefits combine. Expect humanoids first to be deployed in factories and healthcare settings before they make more sporting appearances.
Even in Beijing, the robots were generally accompanied by human minders, on hand to help manually adjust the speed and direction of their companions as needed. Just as some humans require first aid when completing a long distance race, so too did the robots need mending as parts fell off or became misaligned. However, the robotic presence in such an event does show the extent to which both robotics and mechanics have advanced, enabled by AI.
That robots made such a high-profile appearance at a sporting event in China should perhaps not be surprising given that a recent study shows how China is winning the AI patent race, responsible for almost 70% of all patents granted in the area. By contrast, the US gained fewer than 15% of all patents in this field.
While China may be the clear winner in respect of AI, it is outclassed by many nations when it comes to overall research and development spend as a percentage of GDP. China’s 2.6% figure is less than half that of the country that claims the top spot. Your author is currently working in Israel, which not only has some stunning running options along the Tel Aviv shoreline but also claims first prize for R&D spend as a percentage of GDP. Its last reported figure of 6.3% trumps second placed South Korea (5.0%) with Japan claiming bronze (3.4%). The country’s tech scene certainly appears to be alive and kicking. Perhaps Israeli-manufactured humanoids may be appearing in races before not too long.
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Originally Posted on April 29, 2025 – On robots, races and research
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