The Chinese influencer Zhang Genyuan (25) studied economics in New York and became known in China through a dating show. He has now rented an advanced robot for about €1,300 and went on a date with it. The video is going viral on the Chinese version of TikTok, RedNote.
The title image is from RedNote, via SMCP
What kind of robot is this? The G1 is one of the most advanced humanoid robots in China.
The robot comes from the company Unitree, which is actually known for four-legged robots, especially robot dogs. In 2022, the company had to deny rumors that their robot dogs were being used by the Russian military.
The Unitree G1 is a humanoid robot that was presented for mass production in August 2024. One robot costs about €14,000 for sale, but they can also be rented for about one-tenth of the price.
There have also been rumors about these robots that one was spotted in Cambodia with an automatic weapon on its back. But Unitree says: That is not planned.
Influencer spends a day like in a sci-fi movie
This is what the influencer did with the robot: Zhang rented the approximately 1.27 m tall and 35 kg heavy robot for one day on March 13. It cost him about €1,400. It was said that he got the idea from sci-fi movies in which humans live with robots.
In a video titled “My Day with the Robot”, viewers saw how he woke the robot up. It was lying on the floor, then stood up and greeted the influencer: “Hello, Mr. Zhang, nice to meet you.”
When asked if the robot knew who the influencer was, the robot obediently listed the influencer’s achievements and the number of his followers. Zhang was impressed: The robot hadn’t even started to serve him and was already flattering him.
This is how the date with the robot went: According to the South China Morning Post , the robot performed as a partner in a mixed way.
It is said that in the robot’s attempt to cook, it clumsily cracked some eggs and spilled milk. When trying to clean up the milk, the G1 often bumped into Zhang.
As the two walked hand in hand down the street, the robot avoided obstacles. However, when trying to dance with the robot, it lost control but at least apologized for it.
This is what Zhang said after the date: They ordered 2 drinks and let the evening wind down. The robot apologized to Zhang for its shortcomings.
And Zhang said: “I will no longer need a girlfriend to provide me with emotional value.” The robot makes him feel no loneliness anymore.
At the end of the video, Zhang told the robot: I will miss you when I return you tomorrow. The video quickly received 40,000 likes. In the comments about the video, it was said:
- The robot seems like a really good listener, even though it still has room for improvement as a housekeeper.
- But one user on RedNote is also envious of the robot: “$1,400 for one day? Mr. Zhang, rent me instead: I only need $110 a day. I can cook, clean up, and even help the kids with their homework.”
Those who might chuckle at the influencer now should be told: Maybe Zhang is doing everything right. And the 25-year-old is already earning points for the imminent robot rule: 70% of users say “Hello” and “Please” to ChatGPT, but not only out of politeness, but also out of fear
