Unitree Robotics founder and CEO Wang Xingxing has become one of the few Chinese technology entrepreneurs to appear on the cover of TIME magazine, as global competition to commercialize humanoid robots intensifies and investors increasingly view embodied artificial intelligence as the next frontier.

The July 23 cover features Wang alongside Unitree's rideable humanoid mech prototype, GD01, which the company unveiled to TIME in what the magazine described as Wang's first interview with an international media outlet.

Wang said the design of the GD01 drew inspiration not only from robot combat competitions, but also from the mech suits featured in filmmaker James Cameron's Avatar.

TIME described Wang as one of the industry's foremost figures in turning science fiction into reality, highlighting Unitree's role in advancing embodied AI — robots capable of walking, perceiving their surroundings, understanding speech, and interacting with the physical world.

The cover comes as governments and technology companies race to develop humanoid robots that could eventually transform manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, and household services.

Morgan Stanley estimates that about 13 million humanoid robots could be deployed globally by 2035, roughly equivalent to Bolivia's population, with the number potentially reaching 1 billion by 2050, creating a market worth as much as $5 trillion.