Robot Brains Could Have Their ‘ChatGPT Moment’ by 2027, ACE Robotics Chairman Says

In brief

• ACE Robotics Chairman Wang Xiaogang predicts embodied AI could reach its “ChatGPT moment” by the end of 2027.
• A shortage of real-world training data remains a major obstacle, with ACE aiming to collect tens of millions of hours within two years.
• The Chinese startup plans to deploy its technology in 1,000 stores over the next year and eventually pursue an IPO.

Humanoid robots can walk, dance, and box, but getting them to perform useful work in the unpredictable physical world reliably remains one of artificial intelligence’s biggest challenges.

ACE Robotics Chairman Wang Xiaogang believes advances in AI models and real-world training data could soon give robots the intelligence needed to move beyond demonstrations and into commercial use, according to a report by Reuters.

“We expect to reach the ‘ChatGPT moment’ for embodied intelligence by the end of next year, driven by world models and environmental data capture,” Wang told Reuters.

Founded in July 2025, ACE Robotics is a Chinese startup developing AI models for humanoid robots. Backed by Ant Group and SenseTime, it raised more than $100 million in the first half of 2026 and, according to Reuters, plans to pursue an IPO “as early as permitted.”