BEIJING, China — A Chinese technology company says it is working on what could become the world’s first humanoid robot designed to carry a pregnancy using an artificial womb.

According to a report from MSN, Guangzhou-based Kaiwa Technology is developing a life-sized humanoid robot equipped with an artificial womb embedded in its abdomen, intended to replicate the entire process of human gestation and childbirth. The project was unveiled at the 2025 World Robot Conference in Beijing by the company’s founder, Dr Zhang Qifeng, who is also affiliated with Nanyang Technological University.

Dr Zhang said the robot is not “just an incubator,” but a humanoid capable of real human robot interaction during pregnancy. The foetus would grow in artificial amniotic fluid and receive nutrients through a hose that mimics the umbilical cord. He claimed the technology has already proven viable in laboratories and could be integrated into a humanoid form by 2026, with an expected retail price below 100,000 yuan (about US$13,900).

The concept has stirred global debate, raising questions about ethics, law, and the future of reproduction. Dr Zhang confirmed that preliminary policy discussions have been held with authorities in Guangdong Province.

Artificial womb research has been advancing worldwide. In 2017, researchers at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia grew a premature lamb in a “biobag,” a fluid-filled sac that simulated the womb environment. However, existing systems function more like incubators, supporting fetuses only partway through development.

For Kaiwa Technology’s vision to succeed, experts say the challenge will be enabling fertilisation, implantation, and full-term gestation milestones Dr Zhang has yet to fully explain.

At the same robotics conference, Chinese scientists also showcased GEAIR, the world’s first AI-powered breeding robot, designed to revolutionise crop production by automating cross-pollination and gene-edited seed creation. Researchers described it as the foundation of an “intelligent robotic breeding factory,” capable of producing high-quality plant varieties at scale.