Ant Group’s R1 Humanoid Debuts, Slow Demo

Chinese tech giant Ant Group (through a unit called Robbyant / Shanghai Ant Lingbo Technology Co.) has been showing its first humanoid, the R1, at trade shows this month, including IFA 2025 in Berlin and an Inclusion Conference in Shanghai. Videos from the demos show the R1 performing simple kitchen tasks — reportedly serving shrimp — but moving at a very slow, deliberate pace that left observers skeptical about practical readiness. Robbyant pitches R1 for multiple potential roles beyond kitchen help: companion or caregiver in healthcare, robotic tour guide in travel, and other service scenarios. The company says it’s testing the bot in community centers and restaurants, but it hasn’t announced a launch date or price. The Verge notes the slow, staged demo and cautions readers to view performance claims carefully until the robot can be seen operating autonomously in real-world settings. The R1 joins an emerging wave of AI-powered humanoid efforts — from Tesla’s Optimus to other entrants — at a moment when advances in software are reinvigorating long-stalled robotics ambitions, even as many basic tasks remain challenging in practice. View Full Story