The competition to build smarter humanoid robots is getting serious, and companies are now going to extreme lengths to hire the right talent. In a surprising move, UBTech Robotics has announced a job opening that comes with a jaw-dropping salary, one that could earn about 124 million yuan (roughly Rs 142 crore) a year, according to Bloomberg. The Shenzhen-based company is looking for a chief AI scientist who can lead its next phase of innovation. While high salaries are not new in the tech world, such a massive package is still rare, especially in China’s AI industry, where companies usually avoid offering such big payouts.
This is not just another senior position. UBTech wants someone who can guide the future of its humanoid robots and build the foundation for what it calls “embodied intelligence,” a technology that allows machines to better understand and interact with the physical world.
The person selected will take charge of developing advanced AI models and setting the long-term direction for the company’s robotics efforts. At the same time, UBTech is also planning to hire dozens of engineers, showing that it is expanding aggressively.
Why this hiring matters now
The robotics space in China is seeing a wave of interest in 2026. From global tech showcases to large public events, humanoid robots are getting more attention than ever before. This growing spotlight is also bringing in investor confidence. Chinese AI companies like Minimax Group and Zhipu have recently made strong entries into the public market, which has further boosted trust in the country’s AI ecosystem.
The government is also pushing this sector forward. Chinese Premier Li Qiang has already pointed to robotics as a key area for future development, suggesting this industry will receive strong support.
UBTech itself has been growing at a fast pace. The company saw its overall revenue jump by more than 50 percent last year. Interestingly, the performance of its humanoid robot business is also good, where earnings from products and services increased more than 20 times.
Its robots are slowly moving from labs to real-world environments. Earlier this year, Airbus SE bought its Walker S2 humanoid robots for use in aircraft manufacturing. While details were not shared, the deal shows that industries are beginning to test such machines in practical settings.
UBTech is not alone in chasing this opportunity. Companies like Tesla are also working on similar robots, especially for factory use. The goal is reportedly to build machines that can handle repetitive or complex tasks alongside humans. Additionally, Amazon is also spending heavily (about Rs 4,000 crore) on building a new robotics fulfilment centre in places like Australia with a capacity of processing over 125 million packages per year, something which the brand recently confirmed in an official release.
