At the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit 2025, a humanoid robot named Xiao He made its debut supporting journalists, providing a fascinating peek into how China is pushing its media support toward high-tech futures.
Xiao He, standing at human height and with articulate joint movement, participated in press conferences and interviews. With powerful AI, the humanoid robot delivered real-time transcription, language translation, and optimized interview scheduling—all while maintaining a composed, courteous interface.
Beyond its physical presence, the robot exemplifies China’s accelerating push into practical robotics. Experts described Xiao He’s performance as a landmark moment, with the machine consistently recognizing speech nuances and terminologies even amid the buzzing press environment.
Journalists at the summit expressed intrigue. Some admitted the novelty of taking questions from a robot initially felt uncanny, but the efficiency and ease it delivered quickly won admiration. Xiao He fielded multiple languages and relayed questions to officials with negligible lag—underscoring its refined processing and AI-driven adaptability.
The Role of “humanoid robot” Xiao He in Media Operations
Positioned at pivotal moments throughout the summit, Xiao He was more than a tech showcase. it was an integrated assistant. The humanoid robot greeted arriving journalists, directed them to press rooms, and provided on-the-fly updates. Its facial recognition system offered personalized greetings, enhancing convenience in a hectic setting.
Xiao features a sleek metallic casing and gentle lighting. He also provided a calm visual presence amidst the media frenzy. When delays arose, which were frequent at summits, the robot approached waiting media and provided updates, demonstrating both functionality and comfort.
The SCO Summit demonstrated how robotics and AI are progressing from laboratory prototypes to high-stakes real-world applications. Xiao Not only did he excel at voice and movement, but he also demonstrated deep integration by integrating live audio inputs, providing bilingual subtitles, and efficiently handling media credentials.
Observers noted the symbolic value too. China’s introduction of a humanoid robot in such a diplomatic setting signals ambition to fuse robotics with national infrastructure. Especially media and international communication.
By managing transcription and translation with high accuracy, Xiao He reduced manual workload notably. Journalists found fewer delays in obtaining translations and quotes. This efficiency allowed reporters to focus more on narrative and analysis rather than logistics, marking a turning point in press support.
While still experimental, Xiao He’s seamless operation during press briefings ignited speculation about future deployments. Could state media assign humanoid robots to reporting support permanently? Could they assist live broadcasts or field reporting? The summit’s success suggests those applications aren’t far off.
As China continues to champion AI development, the deployment of Xiao He at the SCO Summit represents a pragmatically futuristic step. It combines innovation with journalism, showing how robotics can elevate media operations and communication in critical international forums.
