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San Francisco

The city of San Francisco’s ecosystem supports cutting-edge research in automation, clean energy, and digital infrastructure, making it a central player in the evolution of the modern tech industry.

Is EngineAI China’s Next Humanoid Robotics Giant?

August 20, 2026 by Mike Kalil
EngineAI humanoid robots at Luxshare ICT's Suzhou factory

Chinese robotics startups are racing to become the next major player to tap markets for massive amounts of capital. Among the front of the pack is Shenzhen-based EngineAI, known for its T800 humanoids.

Foundation: The Killer Robot Company Built on Claims Nobody Bothered to Check

July 27, 2026July 26, 2026 by Mike Kalil
Illustration: Foundation Phantom robot at war

It is remarkable how readily major news outlets repeat Foundation Future Industries’ claims about military contracts that are a matter of public record.

EngineAI’s T800 Loses Its Head, Refuses to Back Down During First URKL Fight

July 18, 2026 by Mike Kalil
EngineAI T800 robot fights after losing its head during URKL opening night

A Chinese T800 robot lost its head during what was billed as the world’s first autonomous humanoid fighting event. It kept going like nothing happened, as its head dangled by wires.

China’s T800 Humanoid Robot Hits America as Import Ban Gains Support

June 29, 2026 by Mike Kalil
Illustration: China's Terminator in the USA

China’s Terminator has entered the US, but its stay might be short-lived as support grows in Washington for a ban on Chinese robot imports.

Domo Is Silicon Valley’s Latest Shot at China’s Humanoid Robot Price War

May 13, 2026 by Mike Kalil
Rotaku's Domo humanoid robot for developers

The San Francisco startup Rokatu just introduced Domo, its compact humanoid robot for developers.

Are Humanoid Robots Ready for the Battlefield?

February 23, 2026 by Mike Kalil
Illustration: Chinese Humanoid Robots on the Battlefield

AI-generated footage of Chinese humanoid robots preparing for war is going viral across social media, stoking fears that the kind of future the movies warned about is imminent.

Foundation Claims It’s Sending Skynet-Powered Humanoids to Ukraine

February 20, 2026 by Mike Kalil
Foundation's Phantom MK1 humanoid robot

The San Francisco startup Foundation Future Industries says it’s secured a contract to supply the Ukrainian military with its industrial Phantom MK1 humanoid robots.

The Humanoid Robot That Fell on Cardi B in San Francisco

February 8, 2026February 8, 2026 by Mike Kalil
Cardi B and MagicLab's Z1 humanoid robot

Rapper Cardi B had a very strange interaction with a humanoid robot in San Francisco over the Super Bowl weekend.

The Teenager Who Hacked Smart Glasses and Built World’s Largest Human-Labor Dataset

January 17, 2026December 16, 2025 by Mike Kalil
Eddy Xu, founder of Build AI

Eighteen-year-old Eddy Xu says he dropped out of Columbia, moved to Asia, and convinced thousands of factory workers to wear head-mounted cameras to create what he calls the world’s largest manual-labor dataset.

Tangible Joins the Wave of Startups That Think They’ve Solved Home Robotics

November 20, 2025November 18, 2025 by Mike Kalil
Tangible Robots Humanoid Robot

Yet another startup is coming out of the woodwork claiming it’s built a home robot that might actually be useful.

REK Brings MMA-Trained Humanoid Robots on US Tour

November 8, 2025November 8, 2025 by Mike Kalil

REK (Robot Entertainment Kombat) is taking its humanoid robot fighting league on the road with the launch of REK America.

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