Tesla has launched a new social media account on Weibo, China’s answer to X, to promote its artificial intelligence technology, a move that analysts view as a preliminary step towards introducing its humanoid robots in the country.
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The first two posts on the TeslaAI account, unveiled on Sunday, featured images and video of the Optimus robots in action. According to its introduction, the account will also showcase Tesla’s advances in autonomous driving, driverless ride-hailing and its Cortex supercomputer.
As of Tuesday noon, TeslaAI had gained more than 12,000 followers.
“Tesla likely hopes to capitalise on its brand name to break into the crowded humanoid robot sector,” said Paul Triolo, a partner at Albright Stonebridge Group. “The account suggests that Tesla is beginning to lay the groundwork for a major push into China for its humanoid robots over the next three to five years.”
China’s humanoid robotics industry – led by start-ups like Hangzhou-based Unitree Robotics and Shanghai’s AgiBot – is growing rapidly amid government support and increasing adoption.
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A Morgan Stanley research note in June projected that China’s robotics market would expand at an annual rate of 23 per cent to reach US$108 billion by 2028, up from US$47 billion in 2024, reinforcing the country’s leading position in the fast-evolving sector.
TeslaAI’s first post teased an Optimus model with a golden exterior, accompanied by the caption: “I continue to work hard to improve my physique.” The second post included a video of the Optimus robot serving popcorn.