Till now it was being said that AI is a threat to jobs, but now it is being claimed that in the next 5 years, robots will start working in factories like humans. Yes! Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun claims that in the coming five years, humanoid robots will be seen working like humans in factories. He believes that AI is no longer just a support tool, but has become the backbone of modern industry. Xiaomi is already using AI and X-ray based vision models to get fast and accurate work done in its EV plant. According to Lei Jun, the automation market may reach trillion yuan in the future. Xiaomi is preparing to deploy humanoid robots on a large scale as the next step.
AI changed the way of manufacturing
Lei Jun told Beijing Daily that AI is advancing so rapidly that traditional factories are now entering a completely new era. He said that AI no longer just helps, but has become a core part of factory design and workflow. He gave an example of this from Xiaomi’s EV plant, where earlier the inspection of large die-cast structures was dependent on human inspection. Xiaomi installed an X-ray system with AI vision model in it which completes the inspection in a few seconds and the process is about 10 times faster and more accurate than human inspection.
Lots of opportunities in automation industry
According to Lei Jun, the progress of AI and automation is opening the way for companies to a market worth trillion yuan. However, he said that this industry is so complex that no one company can handle it alone. Lei Jun believes that the next phase of AI will depend on partnerships and shared platforms so that the entire ecosystem can grow together. He also said that instead of relying on cheap labour, China will now have to move rapidly towards smart manufacturing so that it can maintain its edge in global competition.
Humanoid robots will be the next big leap
Xiaomi plans to deploy humanoid robots on its production lines over the next five years, performing the same physical tasks that human workers handle today. Lei Jun said that this is just the first step, because in the future, the demand for domestic humanoid robots may exceed that of factories. Household robots will require more complex environments and higher performance levels. Xiaomi has already introduced its first humanoid robot CyberOne in 2022 and since then the company has been rapidly expanding into robotics, AI and smart EV technology.
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