News
On WAIC, AI begins to take over human desires
3 min read
Source: 36氪
A bionic humanoid robot worth RMB 248,000 is “more expensive than a bride price!” Written by Liu Sijie Editor | Zhang Wei At the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC), large models, computing power and robots occupy the grand narrative of the core exhibition area. But in the innovation exhibition area on the ground floor of the venue, AI is tearing away the mask of subtlety and taking over the most secret human instincts: lust, desire for control, regret for loss, fear of loneliness, and confusion about the future. An egg-shaped doll with a plastic shell is placed on the table. After interacting with people to a certain degree of intimacy, it will "break out of the shell" and a furry desktop pet is born; a plush AI toy that looks like Labubu focuses on parent-child companionship. The educational content that parents want to convey can be spoken through the mouth of an AI doll; there is also a kind of companionship designed as a plush pendant on the shoulder, which can sense the user's emotional changes through sound. The AI companion hardware products at the exhibition are furry, which is the most common form of companion products. Bionic humanoid robots are a more direct approach. At the WAIC venue, when the bionic robot company was demonstrating to the outside world, it set the uses of its products as singers, greeters, and health consultants. And its most commercial use at the moment is a skeleton that can make silicone dolls move, which is sold in batches to sex toy factories. Users’ expectations for bionic robots are also to replace their “other half.” When they hear the product quotation, they blurt out that it is “more expensive than a bride price.” Of course, human desire requires more than an entity to be projected on, a body to be embraced and felt. More covertly, it outsources decision-making responsibility to AI. Metaphysics, psychology, and the consulting services of banned emotional bloggers have all been packaged by AI and become a business that provides people with deterministic decisions. 248,000 "risk-free" relationship. A female-shaped silicone head was placed on the stand alone. The skin texture was extremely fine and the facial features were exquisite. Next to it stood a complete female reception robot, with red lips and a red knitted top. Her head was lowered, her arms were hanging down, and her figure was slender, but she did not move and was supported by a stand. Further forward, another female figure