China unveils humanoid AI 'companion robots' to ease loneliness

Al Jazeera’s Katrina Yu reports from Shenzhen on a Chinese firm’s new humanoid companion robots, built with warm skin, expressive faces, and conversational AI meant to ease loneliness rather than do household work. The company says more than 13,000 orders are already in, with customizable looks that can even resemble a loved one, targeting China’s large single and elderly populations. A tabletop model is about $18,000 and a full-size 183 cm unit about $145,000, with deliveries planned for September. The report also notes psychologists’ concerns about substituting machines for human connection, and shows the reporter’s own mixed on-camera try at talking with one of the robots.