A Chinese influencer spent $1,400 to rent a humanoid robot to have it cook, clean, and go on a date with him at the end of the night.
After appearing on a dating reality show in 2022, Chinese influencer Zhang Genyuan skyrocketed in popularity across social media and has amassed over 1.4 million followers on Rednote.
He now travels around mainland China and shares his adventures online, and on March 13, 2025, posted a video showing his latest endeavor.
In the clip, Genuyan details how he spent 10,000 yuan – $1.4k USD – to rent a humanoid robot for a whole day and what he decided to do throughout his time with the machine.
Influencer paid to take a robot on a date
According to SCMP, the rented robot was the Unitree G1, one of China’s most advanced humanoid robots that retail for $14,000 if it was purchased outright. Luckily for Zhang, many have purchased the robot to offer rental services, which allowed him to experience the humanoid without breaking the bank.
In the video posted to Rednote, Genyuan activated the robot and commanded it to stand up. Within seconds, he was greeted by name before it listed off its abilities. The robot even knew Zhang’s online presence and complimented his work.
“It has not even started serving me yet, and it is already flattering me!” Zhang said while laughing.
The G1 began cooking eggs for the influencer, although it spilled milk in the process. It cleaned up its mistake, however, and even swept and mopped his apartment after breakfast was made.
Zhang and the robot eventually left the apartment to go on a long walk outside before the content creator asked it to dance. It lost control while performing, but quickly apologized for not doing well enough.
“I know you are not mad at me. It is just that I did not do well enough,” it said.
Zhang added: “I will not need a girlfriend to provide emotional value anymore… The robot makes me feel no loneliness at all.”
This comes just weeks after 30 year old Douyin streamer Dalaotian took the app by storm after spending $140k to become an “android.”
Content shared from www.dexerto.com.