Chinese humanoid robot spying near India? Unverified clip sparks chatter

An unverified video circulating widely on social media has sparked speculation about the deployment of a Chinese humanoid robot along the India-China border. The footage, purportedly recorded by an Indian individual, shows a white, bipedal figure standing motionless on rugged, hilly terrain. Voices speaking in Hindi are audible in the background. While the video remains unverified, there is a lot of guesswork happening online over the possible escalating technological surveillance on the India-China border.

The location of the video, its authenticity, or if it is AI generated couldn’t be independently verified by India Today Digital.

The 33-second clip, which surfaced on Instagram and X on Tuesday, shows a white-coloured robot-like entity in what appears to be a remote, mountainous landscape typical of the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

Netizens have dubbed it a “Chinese spy robot” straight out of a sci-fi movie, with some claiming it was spotted by Indian troops during a routine patrol near Arunachal Pradesh or Ladakh. Many even claimed that it could be an AI-generated video. However, there is no confirmation on it.

“According to reliable sources, what appears in the video is not a humanoid robot, but rather a fixed surveillance device,” said junshiguancha, who shared the video on X.

The video comes within a week of the Chinese state media highlighting recent breakthroughs in humanoid robotics.

CHINESE HUMANOID ROBOT COMPLETES 100-KM ENDURANCE TREK

On November 26, the Shanghai-based AgiBot’s humanoid robot completed a 106-km non-stop autonomous trek from Jinji Lake in Suzhou, China’s Jiangsu Province, to the Bund in Shanghai.

The robot, standing 1.75 metres (5.74 feet) tall and weighing around 55 kilograms, set a Guinness World Record for the longest continuous walk by a bipedal machine. Powered by advanced AI algorithms and lithium-ion batteries, the machine, called AgiBot A2, has dual GPS modules, lidar, and infrared depth cameras to handle everything from shifting sunlight to unpredictable urban obstacles.

INDIA, CHINA RESTART DIRECT FLIGHTS AMID THAW IN TIES

The viral video comes against the backdrop of complex India-China relations, though there has been a thaw recently for the first time since the 2020 Galwan Valley clash. The clash in 2020 was the deadliest in over four decades, and resulted in 20 Indian soldiers killed and an undisclosed number of Chinese casualties during a brutal hand-to-hand brawl over a contested bridge.

The clash triggered tension along the LAC, with both sides deploying thousands of troops and artillery in sub-zero conditions. Tensions persisted through 2023, including stand-offs in Tawang and Depsang, where Indian forces reported Chinese incursions into claimed territories.

Yet, sustained diplomatic and military talks have yielded a thaw after over four years.

In October 2024, the two nations agreed to a patrolling disengagement pact in Depsang and Demchok, reducing immediate flashpoints.

Direct flights between Delhi and Shanghai also resumed in November.

However, at the same time, there are also small emerging tensions, such as an Indian woman from Arunachal Pradesh who was detained in China for 18 hours during a transit at Shanghai Airport where Chinese officials asked her why she had not applied for a Chinese passport, even as they said Arunachal Pradesh was “illegally set up by India”.

Amid such an environment, the reported presence of a “spy humanoid robot” on the India-China border could be true or false. However, until an official statement is released, it remains difficult to trust any information in the era of fake news and AI.

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