What has long belonged to the realm of science fiction may soon edge closer to reality. A Chinese tech start-up, Kaiwa Technology, says it is developing the world’s first “pregnancy robot,” a humanoid machine equipped with an artificial womb capable of carrying a baby to term and even giving birth.
The project is being spearheaded by Dr. Zhang Qifeng, the company’s founder, who revealed in a recent interview on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, that a prototype could be unveiled as early as next year. The anticipated price: about 100,000 yuan, or roughly £10,000.
Unlike traditional incubators used for premature infants, Zhang’s vision is far more ambitious. The robot, he explained, would replicate the full arc of human pregnancy—from fertilisation and implantation, through gestation, to delivery. The artificial womb would sustain the foetus by delivering nutrients via a hose connected to the device’s abdomen.
“Artificial womb technology is already at a mature stage,” Zhang said, adding that the challenge now is integrating it into a humanoid form so “a real person and the robot can interact to achieve pregnancy.”
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Still, crucial details remain unclear. Experts have not yet explained how eggs and sperm would be fertilised or how embryos would be implanted in the machine’s womb. Beyond the science, the proposal has raised profound ethical and legal questions. Zhang acknowledged that Kaiwa has already held discussions with authorities in Guangdong Province, submitting proposals on possible policy and legislation to regulate the technology.
Reactions online have been sharply divided. Critics on Chinese social media denounced the idea as “unnatural” and warned that severing a foetus from maternal connection would be cruel. Others raised concerns about how human eggs would be sourced. Yet some expressed cautious support, seeing potential benefits for couples struggling with infertility or women facing high-risk pregnancies.
“Many families spend huge sums on artificial insemination and still fail,” one commenter wrote. “This technology could ease suffering and bring hope.”
Whether hailed as revolutionary or condemned as dystopian, the “pregnancy robot” has already ignited a debate that reaches far beyond China—touching on science, ethics, and the very meaning of human reproduction.
