Chinese androids captivate the world. A rental market is exposing their limits | CNN Business

When humanoid robots dominated the stage of last year’s Spring Festival Gala with sleek dance routines, Ai Lin saw more than a spectacle. He saw a business. Soon after, the e-commerce livestreamer in Hangzhou shelled out $30,000 for his first android and turned it into a rental venture. Business has been brisk. For 3,000 yuan ($443) a day, customers can hire an android to attract crowds at exhibitions, perform at events or even help stage a marriage proposal. But his venture has also revealed what viral videos of dancing, flipping Chinese robots have not: the heavily promoted technology is still years away from replacing human labor, whether on a factory floor or in a household. “The market for humanoid sales hasn’t really taken off yet because today’s robots still can’t operate on their own – they’re basically oversized toys,” he said. Still, Beijing is betting billions of dollars on humanoid robots as a strategic technology that could increase productivity as economic growth slows and its workforce shrinks. Getting a leg up in the burgeoning industry could also help China pull ahead of the US and other rivals in artificial intelligence and advanced technology. “