Unitree CEO Says Robots Are Approaching a ‘ChatGPT Moment’

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Unitree CEO Wang Xingxing says humanoid robotics is moving closer to its own “ChatGPT moment,” a breakthrough that could allow robots to handle most everyday tasks through simple voice or text instructions.

Speaking at a major robotics conference in Beijing, Wang said the industry is approaching a tipping point where robots could enter unfamiliar environments and successfully complete around 80% of tasks without specialized programming.

However, he cautioned that the software needed to reach that level is still developing. In an optimistic scenario, a major breakthrough could arrive within two to three years, while a longer timeline could extend to five or even 10 years.

Unitree is currently investing heavily in world models, AI systems designed to help robots understand and interact with physical environments. Wang said these models remain one of the biggest bottlenecks preventing humanoid robots from reaching mass deployment.

The comments come after Unitree’s blockbuster Shanghai debut, where its shares surged nearly sixfold on the first trading day before pulling back. The listing has intensified investor interest in China’s rapidly expanding robotics sector.

China currently dominates global humanoid robot shipments, accounting for the vast majority of deliveries. Beijing is promoting the technology as a potential solution for labor shortages and dangerous or repetitive industrial work.

Australia Passes Law to Charge Tech Giants That Fail to Pay for Local News

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Australia has passed new legislation that will require major technology companies to pay a 2.5% levy on local advertising revenue if they fail to reach commercial agreements with Australian news publishers.

The News Bargaining Incentive applies to companies including Meta, Google, TikTok and Microsoft’s LinkedIn if they operate significant social media or search services in Australia and generate more than A$250 million ($178 million) in local advertising revenue.

Platforms can avoid the levy by signing qualifying agreements with at least eight publishers before the end of their financial reporting period. Payments to news organizations will be credited against the levy, with stronger incentives for deals involving smaller and medium-sized publishers.

Spending with large publishers will receive a 150% offset, while agreements with smaller outlets will receive a 200% offset. The rules are designed to encourage technology platforms to financially support journalism while still allowing companies to negotiate commercial arrangements directly.

Revenue collected through the levy will be directed toward Australian news organizations, reflecting the government’s view that media content contributes significantly to engagement and advertising revenue on major digital platforms.

The legislation strengthens Australia’s broader effort to rebalance the relationship between technology companies and traditional media businesses as news publishers struggle with declining advertising income and increased competition from digital platforms.

Anthropic Plans to Give Enterprise Customers More Control Over Data Retention

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Anthropic is reportedly preparing changes to its enterprise data retention policy that would give business customers greater control over where sensitive information is stored when using advanced Claude models.

Under the proposed system, enterprise users would still be required to retain data for 30 days, but they could choose to keep that information on their own cloud infrastructure rather than relying solely on Anthropic’s systems.

The company is also expected to introduce a new safety framework later this year. Anthropic has reportedly been working with more than 100 enterprise customers, including Salesforce, to develop the updated approach.

The move follows Anthropic’s earlier decision to require 30-day retention of enterprise traffic on its more powerful Fable and Mythos models, a measure designed to help detect potential cyber misuse.

The policy shift comes as competition intensifies around AI security and enterprise privacy. OpenAI recently announced a safety system designed to identify misuse without retaining customer data, increasing pressure on rivals to offer stronger privacy controls.