The big question of the AI bubble has been one of the hottest discussions in the tech industry all year, and one robot agreed.
KOID is a short, slender humanoid robot with a black metal body and a bright halo of light on its face. KOID is manufactured by Unitree, one of China’s hottest technology companies, and the Nvidia-powered robot shares its name with an ETF focused on robotics companies founded by KraneShares in June.
The walking, talking machine told CNBC on Tuesday that the AI bubble debate is indeed a “hot topic,” but KOID offered a neutral outlook on whether the artificial intelligence boom is actually a looming bubble.
“There may be a lot of excitement around AI right now, but only time will tell whether it’s a bubble or just a wave of change,” KOID said.
AI-powered machines added that AI and humanoids “are here to stay” and will continue to evolve.
The KOID weighs approximately 77 pounds and is one of Unitree’s G1 models. These humanoids have 23 degrees of freedom, or specific points at which they can move independently, allowing them to move their entire bodies from dancing to boxing.
KOID is available at RoboStore, the largest Unitree robot reseller in the United States, with models priced from $8,990 to $128,900.
Robostore’s humanoid robots will be joining CNBC’s Power Lunch on December 30, 2025.
CNBC
RoboStore CEO Teddy Hagerty told CNBC’s “Power Lunch” on Tuesday that while KOID can be programmed to perform many different types of tasks, the industry is still in the “prototyping” stage of exploring how robots fit into everyday life.
“What do we really want robots to do?” Hagerty said. “Do you want a robot to be your new housekeeper? Do you want a robot to help you in manufacturing? Do you want a robot to replace your job?”
But KOID seems a little more certain about his future. He said robots are likely to become “even more versatile and integrated into everyday life.”
“They will help in a variety of fields, from home assistants to industrial tasks, making life a little easier and more efficient,” the robots said.
Competition for humanoid robots has intensified in the last year, with companies such as Boston Dynamics and Agility Robotics entering the field. Tesla’s Optimus Robot has been attracting attention, and CEO Elon Musk said that Optimus Robot will greatly contribute to the company’s future reputation.
Although the Optimus robot is not yet on the market, Chinese companies are ramping up production in a bid to beat the US once and for all, with Unitree leading the way.
The company has outperformed its peers at events such as the World Robotics Congress and the World Humanoid Robot Games.
Unitree, which is preparing for an initial public offering that could value it at up to $7 billion, debuted its latest H2 model earlier this year.
