China plans to invest billions on a robot army to run its power grid
SCMP Tech / 4/24/2026
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Key Points
- China’s main power grid operator, State Grid Corporation of China, plans to buy thousands of AI-powered robots starting in 2026 to inspect and maintain critical infrastructure.
- The investment is aimed at “embodied intelligence” (AI-enabled robots) that can handle multiple roles, including work at remote substations and maintenance of ultra-high-voltage transmission lines.
- The company has earmarked 6.8 billion yuan (about US$1 billion) for robot procurement, signaling a major push toward automation in grid operations.
- The initiative reflects broader efforts by Chinese industrial players to scale AI robotics for real-world infrastructure management rather than limited pilot deployments.
China’s industrial giants are rapidly scaling up the use of AI-powered robots to operate vital infrastructure, with the country’s main grid operator unveiling a blockbuster plan to deploy thousands of bots to handle a range of roles – from inspecting remote substations to performing maintenance on ultra-high-voltage power lines.
The State Grid Corporation of China has earmarked 6.8 billion yuan (US$1 billion) for the procurement of embodied intelligence – or artificial intelligence-enabled...
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