An important milestone in the development of robots was reached on July 1, 2025, when a humanoid robot called Shuang Shuang, or “Bright,” participated in a very unusual high school graduation ceremony in Fujian, China. As the cameras rolled and the audience cheered, Shuang Shuang walked the stage at the 25th commencement ceremony of Shuangshi High School, receiving a certificate and shaking hands with a teacher in an impressive manner. After receiving the certificate, which was put in a tote bag under its arm, the robot posed for pictures with the faculty, shocking onlookers.
The graduation ceremony brought attention to the increasing number of robots in daily life, which is especially evident in China. The event’s video showed the robot performing like a human graduate by marching into position and stepping into place. Shuang Shuang’s appearance fits into a larger global trend of human and animal-like robots showing up more frequently at tech shows and public gatherings.
Beijing has been making significant investments in the development of robotics, which has fueled what some analysts have dubbed a “tech arms race” with the US. The goal of this innovation boom is to further integrate robots into a variety of industries, such as the service and security sectors. At the vanguard of this technological revolution are businesses such as Tesla. For example, the impending Optimus humanoid robot from Tesla is intended to handle repetitive tasks, childcare, and household chores, signaling a move toward the integration of robots into everyday life.
As demonstrated by the robot “dogs” that patrol Mar-a-Lago to support Secret Service agents, robots are being used for security purposes in addition to personal assistants. Even medical experts predict that within the next five years, robots may surpass surgeons in their ability to perform surgery. This rapid pace of robotics development, particularly in China and the U.S., indicates the potential for robots to revolutionize industries in the years to come.