When it seemed that the humanoid robotics board was dominated by the United States and China, with proposals such as Neo from the startup 1X or the Unitree G1 —which even starred in a moment at the WorldOfSoftware NordVPN Awards 2025—, Russia decided to make a move with AIDOL, presented as “the country’s first anthropomorphic domestic robot with AI.” The problem was that its debut did not exactly show technological stability: the robot began to wobble, lost its balance and ended up falling on its face in front of the cameras. All this with the music of ‘Rocky’ playing in the background.
The scene went viral in a matter of hours, overshadowing any technological message that the manufacturer intended to convey. The explanations came quickly, but the public conversation was filled with parodies and memes. In a context where every step in robotics is also measured in terms of reputation, Russia needed a response that showed more than just a failed prototype.
Green, the technological replica of Russia. Now, the images arriving from Moscow show a project of a very different nature. Green is an AI-powered humanoid robot that, according to its creators, “can move independently and interact with targets in real space.” All development, from mechanical design and electronics to GigaChat-based artificial intelligence, has been carried out by Sber, the country’s largest bank and an increasingly visible player in the Russian technological ecosystem.
The humanoid that danced in front of Putin. His debut was very different from that of AIDOL: Green was presented at the Artificial Intelligence Journey 2025 conference, where he spoke a few words and then, as we can see on YouTube, he danced in front of the Russian president, Vladimir Putin. “My name is Green. I am the first humanoid Russian robot that has embodied artificial intelligence. This means that I am not just a program on a screen, but a physical embodiment of technology. I was created by Sber engineers,” the robot said before beginning its demonstration.
According to Sber, Green incorporates more than a hundred motors and a large number of sensors, allowing it to maintain balance even during rapid and coordinated movements. This time, the presentation did not only seek to surprise, but rather to convey control, stability and a more mature image of the Russian commitment to humanoid robotics.
What it means for AI to become embodied The idea of embodied artificial intelligence, according to Sber, goes beyond running models on a screen. It is not just about responding to what a user writes, but about interpreting the environment through sensors, cameras and microphones, processing that information in real time and physically acting. It means providing technology with perception, movement and the ability to make decisions in real situations. That approach proposes a model where hardware is built around artificial intelligence, and not the other way around.
What is Russia looking for with humanoid robots? It remains to be seen whether humanoid robots will end up integrating into everyday life, as Elon Musk and other figures in the sector anticipate. But, should that scenario materialize, Russia wants to ensure that it will have models developed within its borders. Its strategy aims to build technological sovereignty not only in the hardware of the automata, but also in the AI models that drive them and in the infrastructure necessary to train and run them.
For now, there is no information on whether Green will ever become a commercial product or how much it might cost. It is still a technological demonstration and not a robot designed for the market. It is also not easy to place Russia within the global race for humanoids, because there is still no clear data on their real development, their autonomy or their possible applications. What it does seem is that, for the moment, the United States and China are setting the pace in this industry, with more consolidated and visible projects.
Images | Kremlin
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