Meet the Next Major Influencer: This 4-Foot Robot from China

When Edward Warchocki engages in conversation, he comes across as an ordinary individual. “Not exceptionally clever, but really emotional, very approachable,” notes Bartosz Idzik, the creator behind him. However, when he’s silent, it’s difficult to overlook the fact that Warchocki is actually a 4-foot-tall humanoid robot navigating the streets of Poland.

Several months ago, Idzik and his friend Radosław Grzelaczyk conceived the idea of purchasing a humanoid robot from China. They named it “Edward Warchocki” in homage to Grzelaczyk’s dog Eddie and the Polish term for growling, “warczeć,” also because it resembles a plausible name for someone from Poland. During the initial days, Edward was mute, and onlookers were visibly frightened. Then, Idzik, a software developer, connected Edward to a large language model, enabling it to hold live conversations in Polish.

“Once he began to speak, people were enamored. Without speech, it’s merely a 40-kilogram machine,” shares Idzik.

Soon after, Edward made numerous friends. It visited the Polish parliament to chat with lawmakers, climbed mountains, waded into lakes, and was humorously “arrested” by the police. In April, a video showing it chasing away wild boars in Warsaw, equipped with a backpack and a Rolex, went viral internationally. Currently, Edward boasts over 1 million followers and 4 billion views across social media.

By 2026, you’ll likely encounter one of these humanoid influencers making waves globally. There’s “Rizzbot,” donning a cowboy hat and flirting with passersby in Austin; “Bart Robot,” celebrated for breakdancing with Knicks fans in New York during the team’s historic win; and the “Brickell Clanker,” showcasing different jerseys to celebrate with World Cup fans after various matches.

However, unless you’ve been closely observing, you might not have realized that these robots share the same model: the Unitree G1, one of the most accessible and affordable humanoid robots available worldwide, manufactured by a leading Chinese robotics firm. The G1 is roughly the size of a child, featuring a hollow face with a blue light ring and light-gray limbs composed of aluminum. It has appeared on America’s Got Talent, exhibiting kung fu, boxing, parkour, dancing at concerts, running with children, attempting to cook (unsuccessfully), streaming with Kai Cenat, soliciting donations, dating itself, being ordained as a monk in both Japan and Korea, and praying at a mosque in Dubai.

As one anonymous poster on X put it: “This clanker is lit as fuck!”

Unitree is scheduled to go public on the Chinese stock market in about two weeks. Its financial disclosures indicate the high demand for its products: unlike many robotics companies still testing their innovations, over half of Unitree’s revenue in 2025 was generated from actual sales of humanoid robots to clients. It shipped 5,511 humanoids in 2025 at an average cost of under $25,000 each, with 43 percent of sales coming from outside China. The company also achieved profitability for the first time last year.

“We assessed numerous humanoids and found the G1 to be the most effective for our needs,” says Idzik. “While we often see China imitating others, in the realm of humanoids, it’s time for others to take a page from China’s playbook.”

Despite its commercial triumphs, the company and its robots frequently face skepticism. While they engage in attention-grabbing and entertaining activities, the question remains: can they perform traditional job roles that benefit the economy, such as working on assembly lines or cleaning homes? When will the Unitree G1 secure a real job?

Purchasing It in the US

Jake Cooperstein, a 24-year-old resident of Miami, was inspired by Edward and similar accounts to craft his own humanoid influencer. In January, he ventured to a robotics shop in New York to test out the Unitree G1 robot. He was impressed by its user-friendliness. The following day, he placed an order and made the deposit.

On Unitree’s website, a standard G1 robot is listed for $13,500, excluding tariffs, shipping, and taxes. A US distributor lists the price at approximately $19,000 instead. Unhappy with that, Cooperstein opted for the U5 variant designed for educational uses, which includes more advanced parts and greater customization, priced at $66,000.