Watch: Elon Musk's Tesla shows its second-gen humanoid robot Optimus at AI conference, and why its big news

Tesla's second-generation humanoid robot, Optimus, was one of the few American AI products showcased at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai this week. While Optimus boasts Tesla's own neural network and computer vision tech, and is envisioned as a future multi-tasking machine, it remained behind glass and didn't interact with visitors.This static display did little to overshadow the presence of several Chinese robotic companies.
Local exhibitors like Fourier, Tlibot, and Leju Robot presented their own humanoid creations, with a total of 18 robots on display, including "Healthy Loong" from Humanoid Robots (Shanghai).

Although these robots are finding applications in education, healthcare, and manufacturing in China, they're still in early development and haven't reached commercialization yet. High costs, estimated between $70,000 and $100,000 per robot, are a major hurdle. Tesla's Optimus, however, is expected to be priced lower, around $30,000.

Leju Robot showcased their Kuavo robot, powered by an operating system based on Huawei's OpenHarmony. Their engineer, Wu Changxuan, highlighted the challenges of developing software for these robots, which goes beyond the hardware complexities.
China has set an ambitious goal: Achieving mass production of humanoid robots by 2025. The Shanghai conference suggests they're making strides in this field, with Tesla's Optimus facing potential competition from homegrown innovations.