Humanoid robots will take over factory jobs within 5 years: Xiaomi CEO

Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun has predicted a rapid transformation in manufacturing over the next five years, driven by artificial intelligence and humanoid robots becoming central to factory operations. Highlighting the company’s electric vehicle plant, Lei pointed to AI-powered inspection systems that perform tasks much faster and more accurately than humans, exemplifying the shift toward intelligent automation. He envisions humanoid robots replacing workers in repetitive or precision-heavy factory roles and anticipates this industrial automation market will grow into a trillion-yuan sector reliant on partnerships and shared engineering platforms. Beyond factories, Lei expects household humanoid robots to emerge as an even larger market, requiring higher performance to handle complex daily tasks. Xiaomi has already demonstrated robotics capabilities with its CyberOne humanoid robot and is expanding its AI and robotics teams as part of a broader strategy to integrate smart systems across products and production. Lei emphasized that intelligent manufacturing not only boosts efficiency and accuracy but also frees human workers to focus on creative and technical roles, aligning with China’s national goals for modernizing