Pregnancy Robot Emerges in China as Surrogacy Alternative

The Rumor of a "Pregnancy Robot" in China

In August 2025, a surprising rumor began to circulate online about the development of a "pregnancy robot" in China. Social media platforms and various articles shared AI-generated images of this supposed robot, each with different levels of detail and design. The idea quickly gained traction, sparking widespread interest and discussion.

One notable post on Facebook, now archived, claimed that the robot would cost under 100,000 yuan (approximately $14,000). This particular post received over 22,000 reactions and 10,000 comments as of the time of writing. Similar claims appeared on other social media platforms like X and Reddit. Additionally, several readers of HAWXTECH reached out, asking whether the story was true or not.

Multiple news outlets covered the same story, including the British tabloid The Daily Mail, which has faced scrutiny from Wikipedia editors regarding its reliability. Another report came from a Korean outlet called Chosun, while a third was published by CNBC TV18 in India, a joint venture between NBCUniversal and Network 18 Group. HAWXTECH also found a report from The Standard in Hong Kong, but it was later removed from the website. An archived version of the story can be accessed through a link provided by the outlet.

All these reports referenced an inventor named Zhang Qifeng. Some sources claimed he had earned a Ph.D. at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, while others stated he was still employed there. Zhang was said to have founded Kaiwa Technology and announced the development of the pregnancy robot during an interview with the Chinese science and technology news outlet Kuai Ke Zhi.

The now-removed Standard story included a screenshot of a man on a television set, identifying him as Zhang and crediting Douyin, the Chinese equivalent of TikTok. A reverse image search revealed similar images appearing on several outlets, including Korean and Chinese ones, though many of these links had been removed. This included an English-language report on the website of China's second-largest news agency, China News Service, which led to an error page.

The announcement occurred on the first day of the World Robot Expo in Beijing, a major event for humanoid robots. However, no evidence was found to confirm Zhang’s presence on the list of attendees. HAWXTECH contacted the conference organizers to inquire if Kaiwa Technology had been one of the exhibitors.

Evaluating the Claim

Despite the widespread attention, no direct confirmation could be found to verify the existence of such a robot. As a result, the claim remains unverified. HAWXTECH will continue to monitor developments and update the report if new information comes to light.

Key Sources

• "2025 World Robot Expo." Worldrobotconference.com, 2025, www.worldrobotconference.com/. Accessed 18 Aug. 2025.
• CHOSUNBIZ. "China Develops Pregnancy Robot with Artificial Womb to Aid Infertile Couples." CHOSUNBIZ, 11 Aug. 2025, biz.chosun.com/en/en-international/2025/08/11/QQGZCZSQB5E5ZJICEPUDMCNSP4/. Accessed 18 Aug. 2025.
• "Ecns_404 - CHINA NEWS - Headlines, Features, Photo and Videos from Ecns.cn11." Ecns.cn, 2018, www.ecns.cn/m/news/cns-wire/2025-08-11/detail-iheuffaz6225291.shtml. Accessed 18 Aug. 2025.
• Leatham, Xantha. "Would YOU Use a Robot Surrogate? China Develops the World's First 'Pregnancy Humanoid' That's Capable of Giving Birth to a Live Baby." Mail Online, Daily Mail, 15 Aug. 2025, www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-15003205/robot-surrogate-China-pregnancy-humanoid-baby.html. Accessed 18 Aug. 2025.
• Limbu, Prashan. "China Develops World's First Pregnancy Robot, Sparking Ethical Debate." Thestandard.com.hk, Aug. 2025, www.thestandard.com.hk/china-news/article/308815/China-develops-worlds-first-pregnancy-robot-sparking-ethical-debate. Accessed 18 Aug. 2025. Archive: https://archive.is/ylBii.