At the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2026, held from March 24 to 27 in Boao, Hainan, a session titled "The Advancement and Leap of Humanoid Robots" featured insights from Wang Xiaogang, Co-Founder and Executive Director of SenseTime and Chairman of Daxiao Robotics.

When discussing the integration of robots into homes, workplaces, and public spaces, and how to address potential issues such as physical safety, data security, ethical disputes, and liability, Wang Xiaogang shared his perspective. He stated that once a robot enters a home, it cannot operate at Level 2 autonomy. Level 2 involves human-controlled machine operation, as seen in some autonomous driving systems. Entry into a home environment necessitates Level 4 autonomy, which presents significant challenges regarding safety, ethics, and regulations. However, he noted this is a reciprocal process. In autonomous driving, extensive use of Level 2 systems has allowed broad validation of technical safety. The transition to Level 4 involves mechanisms like insurance claims, clarifying liability. Wang suggested robots might follow a similar path: first being deployed extensively in limited B2B scenarios for large-scale implementation and pressure testing. This would build stronger public confidence in their safety before introduction to the consumer market.

Wang Xiaogang added that, from a technical standpoint, robotics is arguably more complex than autonomous driving. In driving, systems like emergency braking use vision and LiDAR to detect objects dozens of meters away. However, human-robot interaction occurs at very close range, and traditional sensors are inadequate for perceiving sudden, unforeseen situations. He concluded that significant technical development is still required.