Humanoid robots from China have shattered human world records in events like the 100-meter sprint and high jump at the World Humanoid Robot Games held in Beijing. The games, now in their second year, feature over 2,000 robots participating in 51 events, demonstrating China's advancements in robotics.

At the 100-meter sprint, a robot recorded a time of 9.39 seconds, surpassing the human record of 9.58 seconds set by Usain Bolt in 2009. In the standing high jump, a robot reached 2.88 meters, exceeding the human record of 2.45 meters set by Javier Sotomayor in 1993. These record-breaking robots were developed by Beijing-based X-Humanoid. Prior to the official opening, a robot from smartphone company Honor completed a 100-meter sprint in a trial in 9.32 seconds, reaching a peak speed of 14.5 meters per second.

The World Humanoid Robot Games, which began Saturday, are taking place in the National Speed Skating Oval and are scheduled to run for five days. The event coincides with the 2026 World Robot Conference, also held in Beijing, where approximately 3,000 products, including humanoid robots, were showcased. China is a leading producer of humanoid robots globally.

These developments occur amidst heightened scrutiny from the United States. Last month, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) banned the import of new foreign-made humanoid robots, citing national security concerns and targeting China. The Pentagon has also recently added Unitree, a prominent Chinese humanoid robot manufacturer, to a list of companies suspected of having ties to the Chinese military, a move that Beijing has contested.

Despite the rapid advancements demonstrated at the games, experts note that humanoid robots are largely confined to demonstrations, performances, and research. Widespread real-world deployment is still anticipated to take time. Spectators at the games expressed awe at the robots' improving capabilities, with some noting a shift in their initial apprehension towards artificial intelligence due to its rapid and seemingly unstoppable development.

The games feature participation from 16 countries, including Germany, Japan, and the U.S., and include other competitions such as weightlifting and tug of war.