Why China sees factory robots as new front in AI race
By MLex Staff ( November 11, 2026, 09:22 GMT | Comment) -- China's move against SoftBank's ABB Robotics deal shows how far the artificial intelligence race has evolved beyond chips into the machinery of the physical economy. Industrial robots are being recast from productivity tools into intelligence-gathering infrastructure whose data streams could train next-generation AI systems that understand not just language but physical reality itself. Beijing's decision to block the deal highlights how concerns over access to industrial data and control over critical equipment can derail a deal even after antitrust clearance, raising the stakes for buyers pursuing "physical AI."China's move against SoftBank's ABB Robotics deal shows how far the artificial intelligence race has evolved beyond chips into the machinery of the physical economy. Industrial robots are being recast from productivity tools into intelligence-gathering infrastructure whose data streams could train next-generation AI systems that understand not just language but physical reality itself....
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