Chong Ming Lee, Junior News Reporter at Business Insider's Singapore bureau.

Drunken boxing and backflips: China put on a robot kung fu display that shows how fast its robotics industry is growing

China didn’t just celebrate Lunar New Year this week. It staged a robotics flex.

At the annual Spring Festival Gala, the Lunar New Year show in China, humanoid robots from Chinese startup Unitree Robotics flipped, lunged, and swung swords and nunchucks just feet from child performers in a tightly choreographed kung fu routine.

In one sequence inspired by “drunken boxing,” a traditional Chinese martial arts style, the robots staggered, fell backward, then rose again — showcasing advances in control and coordination.

Clips circulating online quickly drew comparisons to last year’s broadcast, which featured Unitree humanoid robots performing a Chinese folk dance. The choreography then was noticeably simpler.

The gala, often likened to the US Super Bowl for its massive audience, also featured other Chinese robotics firms, including MagicLab, Galbot, and Noetix, in separate segments throughout the broadcast on Monday evening.

Reactions on Chinese social media showed viewers being struck by how quickly the technology has advanced.

On RedNote, a user who goes by Ma Xiao said in a video posted on Wednesday that during last year’s performance, the robots were only “doing very simple things.”

“Now, they’re doing kung fu, they’re doing flips, they’re doing synchronized dancing,” he said. “Everybody’s shocked.”

“Now the rest of the world knows what China’s speed is,” he added.

Another RedNote user, DKKD, posted a video of friends reacting to the performance on Tuesday, captioning it: “Three Americans were scared by the Spring Festival robot.”

“They were all shocked by the robot’s level of evolution (including me),” the user wrote.

One viewer in the video can be heard saying: “It’s way more impressive than last year. It’s crazy.”

Unitree CEO Wang Xingxing said in an interview with Chinese media following the gala that the company expects to ship up to 20,000 humanoid robots this year, up from about 5,500 in 2025.

Global shipments of humanoid robots could reach “tens of thousands” this year, with Unitree potentially contributing between 10,000 and 20,000 units, Wang said on Tuesday.

China’s push in robotics

Chinese companies developing humanoid robots and autonomous systems are racing to outdo global rivals.

In September, Ant Group, an affiliate of Alibaba Group, unveiled R1, a humanoid robot that drew comparisons to Tesla’s Optimus. Two months later, EV and robotics maker XPeng introduced the latest version of its humanoid, Iron, which the company described as “highly human-like.”

China’s elite universities are also moving to build talent for the sector. In November, China’s Ministry of Education issued a notice stating that top institutions are preparing to launch a new undergraduate major in “embodied intelligence,” a field that combines AI with robotics.

Still, China’s rapid push into robotics hasn’t been seamless.

XPeng’s Iron fell face-first during its first public appearance in China earlier this year. Its CEO, He Xiaopeng, later wrote on Chinese social media that the mishap was part of “learning to walk.”

Last month, a Unitree humanoid kicked an engineer in the groin during a test. Humanoid robots stumbled and fell while racing against humans in a half-marathon in Beijing in April last year.




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Asia’s biggest aviation event shows how the counter-drone craze is taking hold

This year’s Singapore Airshow was a true display of how the world has come to both love drones and fear them.

Fighter jets danced in the sky and a slew of commercial airliners sat on the baking tarmac for military officials, students, and eager interns to gawk at.

But inside the main hall, you’d be hard-pressed to look anywhere and not see “drone” or “UAS” plastered on a placard or wall.

Roughly 550 organizations were listed as exhibitors at the event, which hosted a mix of civil aviation companies, defense contractors, and air forces. A third were in the uncrewed aerial system business.

Around every corner, it seemed as though there was a system to fight drones: Big drones, small drones, drones with bombs strapped to them, drones that spy on you from miles away, drones that spy on you from 300 feet in the sky — and increasingly, drones that fly at you in swarms.

Recent conflicts, especially the Ukraine war, has brought to the fore the fear of an unknown $600 device flying into a military base or a football stadium to deal untold damage or take lives.

The implications go beyond war. Last fall, repeated unidentified drone sightings forced European countries to disrupt hundreds of passenger flights.

The solutions on offer at the airshow covered almost everything one imaginable for preventing those scenarios. There were the usual radio frequency area jammers, designed to cut off any nearby drone from its link to the operator. These came in anything from handheld devices to boxes that you have to mount on flatbed trucks.

Skylock, an Israeli company, brought along a 13-pound, two-handed jamming gun called Skybeam, which is supposed to mess with electronics that you point the device toward.


The Skybeam sits on display.

The Israeli Skybeam is a hefty, two-handed gun for fighting smaller drones.

Matthew Loh for Business Insider



There were actual guns, such as Saab’s new “Loke” system that features a truck-mounted, software-assisted machine gun to knock out drones in a “one shot, one kill” fashion. The company hopes to add airburst rounds soon.

There were, of course, drones to kill other drones, easily denoted by their aerodynamic design of a missile-like body, tear-shaped tail, and four propellers.

French manufacturing giant Thales was promoting the “ThunderShield,” a remotely operated dome-like device that targets small, Class 1 drones with an invisible electromagnetic beam that spreads out in a cone.

The company said the device has already been deployed at a major public event in France two years ago, though it wouldn’t say which (the biggest one that year was the Olympic Games.)

One standout was the CROSSBOW, a device developed by laser company IPG Photonics’ brand new defense division, IPG Defense.

Tucked away on the side of the exhibition hall, the Massachussetts-based company’s showcased an invention that fires lasers to destroy drones via thermal damage.


The IPG Defense CROSSBOW system on display.

The CROSSBOW system uses IPG’s commercial laser technology to destroy drones.

Matthew Loh for Business Insider



An accompanying radar helps the CROSSBOW identify drones from other flying objects, such as unsuspecting bald eagles, and an Xbox controller allows the operator to choose whether to engage the target.

Still, as one anti-drone tech salesman noted to me, many of the world’s counter-UAS inventions run on tech that isn’t necessarily novel. Like the idea of a hobbyist drone strapped with a grenade, most of these companies have simply merged older concepts that no one thought of combining before.

Some will say they merge that tech better than others, but it’s still no F-35 or F-47.

It’s another sign of how accessible air warfare is becoming, with quadcopters sitting alongside multimillion-dollar fighter jets and hulking Rolls Royce engines in the main hall.

The airshow, which is running its 11th edition of the biennial event, said that it’s seen the largest involvement so far from small and medium-sized companies this year.




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New poll shows the shifting conversation around blue-collar work in the age of AI

Americans think the future of work is in their hands.

A poll commissioned by the Business for Good Foundation, a nonprofit focused on reducing the wealth gap, found that 75% of Americans agree that “hands-on skills and practical experience matter more than formal degrees when it comes to career success.”

“You’ve got a lot of people that have historically didn’t think the American dream was for them,” Ed Mitzen, cofounder of the Business for Good Foundation, told Business Insider ahead of the poll’s release. “I would argue that it isn’t broken, it’s just moved, and it’s moved to places we stop looking.”

The survey, conducted by The Harris Poll, comes as leading names in AI point to a potential boom in blue-collar work as agentic AI redefines, and in some cases, replaces white-collar work.

The poll also found that 76% of respondents agree that “jobs that rely on hands-on experience are less likely to be replaced by AI.”

Overall, three in four Americans said they agreed with the statement that what they consider a “good” job today is different than what it would have been five years ago. And 78% agreed with the statement “the stigma around trade or blue-collar work is declining” as society puts a greater emphasis on hands-on skills.

Researchers have found that jobs that require human interaction and physical presence are less likely to be replaced by AI.

Indeed’s GenAI Skill Transformation Index recently examined how generative AI could perform jobs that require problem-solving ability and physical labor. Their findings were that nursing, childcare, and construction were the least likely to be affected by AI.

AI leaders talk up blue-collar work

AI leaders continue to debate the degree to which the revolutionary technology will upend the current workforce. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has stood by his prediction that AI could eliminate roughly half of all entry-level white-collar jobs over the next 1 to 5 years. Others, including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, have questioned the extent of Amodei’s dour prediction.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang recently said at the World Economic Forum that now is the perfect time to go into the trades. In part because the AI industry itself will need an influx of workers to help build the massive data centers it wants to build.

“So we’re talking about six-figure salaries for people who are building chip factories or computer factories or AI factories, and we have a great shortage in that,” Huang said in a conversation with BlackRock CEO Larry Fink.

xAI CEO Elon Musk previously said that any job that involves manual labor is likely to survive much longer amid the “supersonic tsunami” that is AI.

“Anything that’s physically moving atoms, like cooking food or farming, anything that’s physical, those jobs will exist for a much longer time,” Musk told podcaster Joe Rogan in November. “But anything that is digital, which is just someone at a computer doing something, AI is going to take over those jobs like lightning.”

The Business For Good Foundation commissioned The Hariss Poll to survey 2,085 adults 18 or older. Harris Poll conducted the survey online in the US from January 13th through January 15th. The overall margin or error is ±2.5 percentage points.




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‘Misery Map’ shows holiday travel chaos on both coasts with canceled and delayed flights

A turbulent year for air travel isn’t over yet.

Snow and rainstorms hit multiple states on both coasts on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and are now heading for the Northeast, including New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Travellers are now having a difficult time getting home as major airports see mass delays and cancellations.

According to the “Misery Map,” published by FlightAware, which tracks real-time flight disruptions, there have been over 1,000 delays and more than 350 cancellations across the largest US airports as of 6:45 p.m. ET on Friday.

Here’s a look at the latest flight disruptions, and when you may expect to fly if your flight has been canceled.

The Midwest and the East Coast


Screenshot of Misery map

JFK International Airport is experiencing more than 369 cancellations and 210 delays.

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The storm that first hit the Midwest is coming for the East Coast. New York City is set to see the most snow it has seen in years, since the last time it saw at least 4 inches of snow was January 2022. New Jersey and upstate New York will see similar weather conditions.

The NYC Emergency Management said in a press release that “snow is expected to develop Friday afternoon and intensify into steady, accumulating snow Friday night.” The National Weather Service has forecast 3 to 7 inches of snow with locally higher amounts possible.

According to FlightAware, JFK International Airport is experiencing 369 cancellations, with 210 on Friday alone. The situation at Newark Liberty International Airport is also not optimistic, with 244 cancellations and counting.

Based on the Misery Map, flights from airports around NYC to Chicago, Detroit, and Denver are seeing the highest number of delays and cancellations.

The West Coast


Misery map

Los Angeles International Airport is seeing a total of 283 delays and 41 cancellations.

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The West Coast is slowly recovering from an exceptionally wet Christmas.

Over the past two days, most residents of California have received at least one weather warning as an atmospheric river accompanied by high winds, floods, and mudslides hit the Golden State. The NWS said that this Christmas season is the wettest one Los Angeles has experienced in 54 years.

The San Francisco International Airport said that 153 flights had been delayed on Friday morning due to windy conditions. To make matters worse, the police briefly shut down Terminal 1 due to a “suspicious package,” but then reopened it without explanation. By midday, FlightAware reports that a total of 381 flights from SFO have been delayed.

According to the Misery Map, flights from the Los Angeles International Airport to Seattle, Salt Lake City, Denver, and the East Coast are all experiencing disruptions. FlightAware counted a total of 283 delays and 41 cancellations.

The disruptions come at the end of a tough year for air travel.

High-profile plane accidents, including when an American Airlines Flight crashed into a Black Hawk helicopter, and the firing of hundreds of FAA employees by the White House DOGE office, triggered a newfound fear of flying among some Americans earlier this year.

The subsequent government shutdown also led to flying snags this year, as air traffic controllers who were left without pay called in sick, and some airports were paralyzed.




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30 classic movies and TV shows that Netflix would own as part of its Warner Bros. deal

  • Netflix is set to acquire Warner Bros. in a $72 billion deal for its streaming and studios business.
  • That means the streamer would own a slew of classic movies and TV shows from the WBD catalog.
  • Titles that would be owned by Netflix include “Casablanca,” “Friends,” and the “Harry Potter” franchise.

In a deal that is sure to disrupt Hollywood, Netflix is buying Warner Bros. for $72 billion.

In the deal, the streaming giant would acquire WB’s over 100-year vault of beloved film and TV titles.

That means that not only would current hits like “Sinners” and “One Battle After Another” be owned by Netflix, but so would classic movies like “Casablanca” and “The Matrix,” as well as beloved TV shows like “Friends” and “The Wire.”

Below are 30 Warner Bros. movies and TV shows that are set to become Netflix titles.

“Curb Your Enthusiasm”

Larry David in “Curb Your Enthusiasm.”

Courtesy of HBO

This series focuses on a fictionalized version of Larry David, the retired co-creator of “Seinfeld,” and his daily life in Los Angeles. The semi-improvised comedy series spotlights David’s irritability and cringeworthy social interactions, and helped turn its star into a cultural archetype of petty annoyances.

“Euphoria”


Zendaya as Rue in a first-look image for season three of

Zendaya in “Euphoria.”

HBO

This teen drama follows Rue, played by Zendaya, and her small circle of peers as they struggle with addiction, sexuality, and mental illness. The show’s maximalist aesthetic inspired glittery makeup trends that took over corners of TikTok. The show’s third season is set to air in April.

“Friends”


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“Friends.”

NBC

One of the most iconic sitcoms of all time, “Friends” follows a group of six friends — and lovers, and siblings — living in New York City during their early adulthood.

“Game of Thrones”


game of thrones pilot

Sean Bean in “Game of Thrones.”

HBO

The fantasy drama based on George R. R. Martin’s novel series is known for its plot twists and intricate world-building. Not only did it create a global fan base and help bring adult fantasy to the fore, but the show’s popularity also created real-world travel trends to filming locations, including Croatia.

“Gilmore Girls”


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Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel in “Gilmore Girls.”

The WB

A classic, if not the classic, television portrayal of a mother-daughter relationship, this series follows Lorelai (Lauren Graham) and Rory Gilmore’s (Alexis Bledel) lives in the sleepy town of Stars Hollow, Connecticut. Known for its witty dialogue, seemingly infinite references to coffee, and reliable boy drama, it remains a favorite comfort show among original fans and younger viewers.

“Gossip Girl”


Gossip Girl cast leaning against a railing

“Gossip Girl.”

Warner Bros.

This 2000s drama follows a group of ultrawealthy private-school students in New York City as they move through champagne-filled parties, messy relationships, and college applications. All the while, the anonymous blogger, Gossip Girl, dishes out secrets in the background. The show helped launch stars like Blake Lively and a generation of aspirational New Yorkers.

“Pretty Little Liars”


Pretty Little Liars

“Pretty Little Liars.”

ABC Family / Freeform

“Pretty Little Liars” follows four high school girls reeling from the disappearance and assumed death of their friend group’s former queen bee. The girls are being stalked by “A,” someone who seems to know every one of their secrets, past and present. Full of familial and romantic drama, the show created a loyal online fandom who traded theories about A on social media in the 2010s.

“Rick and Morty”


Rick and Morty.

“Rick and Morty.”

Adult Swim

In its eighth season and still going strong, this adult animated science-fiction comedy follows the brilliant alcoholic scientist Rick Sanchez and his anxious teenage grandson, Morty Smith, as they navigate multiple universes and their own familial relationships. The show is also relevant beyond the big screen, showing up often in memes.

“Sex and the City”


carrie bradshaw sex and the city

Sarah Jessica Parker in “Sex and the City.”

HBO

This HBO series follows four women in New York City figuring out careers, romance, and friendship. It centers on newspaper columnist Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker), whose voiceovers dot most episodes. The show is also considered a staple of fashion history, and Carrie herself became a style icon.

“The Sopranos”


James Gandolfini as Tony on

James Gandolfini in “The Sopranos.”

HBO

Few shows are considered as impactful as “The Sopranos,” which follows New Jersey mob boss Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) through therapy sessions, the management of a sprawling criminal enterprise, and his chaotic relationships. At once depressing and hilarious, it is credited with demonstrating that television can be as artistically complex and ambitious as film.

“Succession”


Jeremy Strong, Sarah Snook, and Kieran Culkin on season four of

Jeremy Strong, Sarah Snook, and Kieran Culkin in “Succession.”

Claudette Barius/HBO

This series follows the Roys as the four adult children scramble for control of the family’s media empire. The comedy-drama offers an unflinching portrait of the ultrawealthy, what people will do for power, and familial dysfunction.

“Veep”


julia louis-dreyfus in veep

Julia Louis-Dreyfus in “Veep.”

HBO

This political satire stars Julia Louis-Dreyfus as a self-centered and power-hungry vice president. “Veep” tracked real-world politics’ slide into the increasingly absurd and was a favorite among DC insiders.

“The West Wing”


The cast of

“The West Wing.”

NBCU

Created and written by Aaron Sorkin, “The West Wing” chronicles the drama of the White House’s senior staff. It follows the president, chief of staff, communications director, and others through both national and personal crises. The show premiered in 1999 and won 26 Emmys.

“The White Lotus”


Jennifer Coolidge with white wine

Jennifer Coolidge in “The White Lotus.”

HBO

Since its first season premiered in 2021, Mike White’s vacation anthology series “The White Lotus” has developed a cult following. Each season of the dark comedy-drama takes place at a different luxury resort around the world, and follows wealthy hotel guests and employees over the course of a week leading up to a death. The show often boasts big stars, like Jennifer Coolidge, Michael Imperioli, and Parker Posey.

“The Wire”


Michael B. Jordan (left) alongside Tray Chaney, Larry Gilliard Jr, and JD Williams in “The Wire.”

HBO

This crime drama set in Baltimore follows a wide cast of characters and explores city bureaucracy. Each season focuses on a different topic, from the drug trade to the school system.

“2001: A Space Odyssey”


“2001: A Space Odyssey.”

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Stanley Kubrick’s space epic pushed the limits of visual effects, resulting in one of the most groundbreaking works ever put on the big screen. Kubrick’s other classics — “A Clockwork Orange,” “Barry Lyndon,” “The Shining,” and “Full Metal Jacket” — were also made at Warner Bros.

“Blade Runner”


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Sean Young and Harrison Ford in “Blade Runner.”

Warner Bros.

Ridley Scott’s trippy tale starring Harrison Ford as a detective in search of synthetic humans in a futuristic Los Angeles has inspired countless other sci-fi stories.

“Casablanca”


Casablanca Warner Bros

Claude Rains, Humphrey Bogart, and Ingrid Bergman in “Casablanca.”

Warner Bros.

With an all-star cast made up of Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Peter Lorrie, Claude Rains, and Sydney Greenstreet, this drama set against the backdrop of World War II is regarded as one of the greatest love stories ever put on screen. It also features not one but two famous movie lines: “Here’s looking at you, kid,” and, “Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”

“Citizen Kane”


Charles Foster Kane (Orson Welles) makes a stirring campaign speech before a larger-than-life portrait of himself in a scene from Citizen Kane.

Orson Welles in “Citizen Kane.”

Warner Bros.

Orson Welles became a sensation in Hollywood when he wrote, produced, directed, and starred in this movie about the life and times of fictional newspaper tycoon Charles Foster Kane. The movie’s non-linear storytelling and unique camera angles inspired countless filmmakers in the decades since; many regard it as one of the greatest movies ever made.

“The Exorcist”


The Exorcist

“The Exorcist.”

Warner Bros.

Before “Jaws” or “Star Wars” became blockbusters, this was the movie audiences lined up around the block to see. William Friedkin’s supernatural horror about a young girl (Linda Blair) possessed by the devil became a box office sensation and the first-ever horror movie to be nominated for a best picture Oscar.

“Gone with the Wind”


Gone With The Wind

Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh in “Gone With The Wind.”

Loew’s Inc.

This best picture-winning epic set in the South during the Civil War made icons out of Vivien Leigh as the strong-willed Scarlett O’Hara and Clark Gable as the dashing Rhett Butler. The two would be immortalized in movie lore thanks to the famous line delivered by Gable to Leigh, “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.”

“Goodfellas”


Goodfellas

Joe Pesci and Ray Liotta in “Goodfellas.”

Warner Bros.

Martin Scorsese’s beloved gangster movie is highlighted by powerful performances from Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro, and Joe Pesci, who play based-on-real-life despicable mob wiseguys who cause mayhem from the 1950s to the 1980s.

“The Goonies”


sean astin the goonies

Sean Astin in “The Goonies.”

Warner Bros. Pictures

Under the watchful eye of Steven Spielberg, who came up with the story, director Richard Donner’s classic follows a group of teens who set out on a treasure-hunting adventure to save the small neighborhood they live in from foreclosure.

“The Matrix”


Keanu Reeves as Neo blocking bullets in The Matrix

Keanu Reeves in “The Matrix.”

Warner Bros.

Starring Keanu Reeves as a man who awakens from what he realizes is a simulated reality, “The Matrix” features action sequences and never-before-seen CGI effects that redefined the action movie genre overnight.

“Rebel Without a Cause”


rebel without a cause james dean

James Dean in “Rebel Without a Cause.”

Warner Bros.

Nicholas Ray’s groundbreaking work didn’t just successfully tap into teenage life, it also turned its star, James Dean, into a matinee idol.

“The Searchers”


John Wayne standing in a doorway holding his arm

John Wayne in “The Searchers.”

Warner Bros.

Warner Bros. is responsible for one of the greatest Westerns ever made. In this essential John Ford movie, John Wayne plays a Civil War veteran who spends years looking for his abducted niece (Natalie Wood). Along with its powerful performances, the film’s lush vistas of Western terrain have stood the test of time.

“The Shawshank Redemption”


tim robbins and morgan freeman in the shawshank redemption

Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman in “The Shawshank Redemption.”

Columbia Pictures

Based on a Stephen King novella, “The Shawshank Redemption” stars Tim Robbins as banker Andy Dufresne, who is sentenced to life for the murder of his wife, though he’s actually innocent. In his two decades at Shawshank Penitentiary, Dufresne befriends an inmate (Morgan Freeman), launches a money laundering scheme with the warden, and plans a daring escape.

The “Harry Potter” franchise


ron weasley, harry potter, and hermione granger

“Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.”

Warner Bros. Pictures

All the titles from the beloved fantasy franchise will soon belong to Netflix. Presumably, so will HBO’s upcoming Harry Potter TV series.

“The Lord of the Rings” franchise


lord of the rings gollum new line cinema

“Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.”

New Line Cinema

So will Peter Jackson’s trilogy of films based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s masterwork.

Any version of Batman ever made


Michael Keaton with Batman symbol behind him

Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne.

Warner Bros.

Batman has been a cash cow for Warner Bros. all the way back to when Michael Keaton put on the cape in 1989. Whether it’s Keaton, Christian Bale, or Robert Pattinson, Netflix will soon be home to whatever version of the Dark Knight you’re a fan of — not to mention Superman and any other DC Comics character.




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