Ant Group, a leading Chinese technology company and owner of the popular payment platform Alipay, has introduced its first humanoid robot at various technology exhibitions this month. This venture underscores the burgeoning interest among companies exploring new horizons in automation, integrating artificial intelligence with robotics.
At the IFA 2025 tech event in Berlin last week, the company showcased its R1 robot, which demonstrated its cooking capabilities by preparing shrimp for attendees. This innovative device is a product of Robbyant, a subsidiary of Ant Group, and has also been showcased at the 2025 Inclusion Conference currently taking place in Shanghai, as reported by Bloomberg.
Robbyant envisions a range of applications for the R1 robot beyond culinary tasks. The company suggests that it could serve as a companion or caregiver in healthcare settings, or act as a robotic tour guide within the travel industry.
No official launch date or pricing information for the R1 has been disclosed yet, although testing is underway in various community centers and restaurants. Observers are encouraged to maintain a healthy skepticism regarding R1’s capabilities until it can operate independently in practical environments; the robot’s performance at IFA was somewhat lackluster, as demonstrated by its slow pace in completing tasks.
Ant Group is positioning itself alongside other tech giants, including Tesla led by Elon Musk, in the pursuit of AI-driven robotics. Although the industry has historically faced challenges marked by overinflated expectations and slow development on fundamental tasks, there is a growing sense that recent advancements in software may finally catalyze significant progress.
