Alibaba on Tuesday unveiled an artificial intelligence model designed to power robots, as major technology companies accelerate efforts to bring AI into the physical world.
The model, called RynnBrain, is built to help robots understand their surroundings, recognise objects and interact with them more effectively. It was developed by Alibaba’s research arm, DAMO Academy, and represents the company’s most direct move yet into robotics-focused AI.
In a demonstration video released by DAMO Academy, a robot is shown identifying pieces of fruit and placing them into a basket. While the task appears simple, it relies on complex AI systems that combine visual perception, spatial awareness and motor control. These capabilities are central to enabling robots to function in real-world environments rather than controlled labs.
Robotics falls under the broader category of “physical AI”, which includes intelligent machines such as self-driving cars and industrial robots. China has identified the sector as a strategic priority as it competes with the US for leadership in advanced technologies.
The opportunity is attracting growing attention from global tech leaders. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has described AI and robotics as a “multitrillion-dollar growth opportunity”, while Nvidia itself is developing a suite of robotics-focused models under its Cosmos platform. Google DeepMind is pursuing a similar approach through its Gemini Robotics-ER models.
Elon Musk has also positioned robotics as a key pillar of Tesla’s future, with the company developing its Optimus humanoid robot alongside in-house AI systems.
For Alibaba, RynnBrain builds on the momentum of its Qwen family of AI models, which are regarded as some of the most capable systems to emerge from China. By extending those capabilities into robotics, Alibaba gains an entry point into a market that is expected to expand rapidly over the coming decade.
China is widely viewed as being ahead of the US in humanoid robotics, with several domestic companies planning to scale up production this year. That manufacturing advantage, combined with increasingly capable AI models, has fuelled expectations that Chinese firms could play a leading role in deploying robots at scale.
Like many of its recent AI releases, Alibaba is adopting an open-source approach with RynnBrain, allowing developers to use the model freely. Open sourcing has been central to Alibaba’s strategy to drive adoption of its AI tools globally and to build a broader ecosystem around its models.
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