Humanoid robots showcase skills at Ancient Olympia. But they're on a long road to catch up to AI

The Unitree G1 robot plays boxing with Aadeel Akhtar CEO and Founder of Psyonic at the first International Humanoid Olympiad at the Olympic Academy, in ancient Olympia, Greece, on Sept 1, 2025. — AP

ANCIENT OLYMPIA, Greece: With jerky determination, robots played soccer, wowed children with shadow-boxing skills and shot arrows on Sept 1 at the birthplace of the Olympic Games.

As they shuffled and occasionally froze for a battery change, their creators and futurologists debated the central question of when robots will be ready to tidy closets and wash dishes.