China - Robots that can carry pregnancy with artificial womb

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A humanoid robot pregnancy robot with an artificial womb is being planned in China, in a move that could reshape how reproduction is approached in the future.

The project is led by Kaiwa Technology, a company based in Guangzhou, which says the machine is being designed to replicate the process of human gestation.

Reports suggest the first prototype may appear by 2026 with an estimated cost of around $13,900.

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Kaiwa Technology presented the idea at the 2025 World Robot Conference in Beijing.

Founder Zhang Qifeng explained that the humanoid robot would be built with an artificial womb located in its abdomen.

Inside, artificial amniotic fluid and a nutrient hose would allow a fetus to develop in a way that mimics pregnancy.

Zhang said the underlying artificial womb technology has been tested in controlled laboratory settings.

The challenge now is integrating that technology into a functioning pregnancy robot.

According to Chinese media, a prototype is expected within a year. In the meantime, authorities in Guangdong Province have already been approached to consider ethical and legal guidelines.

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Artificial womb experiments are not new.

In 2017, researchers at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia placed a premature lamb in a ‘biobag’ filled with artificial amniotic fluid, where it continued to develop for several weeks.

That research showed the potential for partial gestation, but not for a full pregnancy from fertilization to birth.

For Kaiwa’s humanoid robot to succeed, it would need to support every stage of development, a leap that many scientists believe remains uncertain.

The project also raises questions that extend beyond science.

How would a child delivered by a pregnancy robot be recognized legally?

Who would be considered the parent?

These questions remain unresolved, and they will likely shape the debate as the technology progresses.

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