The first for China, and possibly the world, a humanoid robot has been admitted to a PhD programme in Drama and Film. Named Xueba 01, the robot will pursue doctoral studies at the Shanghai Theatre Academy, focusing on traditional Chinese opera.
The announcement was made during the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai on July 27.
Developed jointly by the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology and DroidUp Robotics, Xueba 01 is designed to interact with humans both verbally and physically.
It speaks fluent Mandarin, stands at 1.75 metres tall, weighs 30 kilograms, and is built with silicone skin to mimic facial expressions.
Xueba is a Chinese slang term used to describe a high-performing student. The name seems well-suited.
The robot will train under Professor Yang Qingqing, a noted figure in Chinese performing arts. Its coursework includes stage performance, scriptwriting, set design, motion control, and language generation.
In a rehearsal earlier this year, the robot replicated a famous hand gesture, called the ‘orchid fingers’, from Peking opera legend Mei Lanfang.
Professor Yang noted that human students in the room unconsciously mimicked the robot’s movement. She described it as a form of “aesthetic exchange,” not a human-vs-machine moment.
While it’s easy to focus on the machine’s hardware or code, the Shanghai Theatre Academy seems more interested in what happens when technology enters a traditionally human space, live performance.
The robot refers to itself as an “AI artist” and has expressed a desire to collaborate with classmates, share script ideas, and even provide white noise for relaxation.
If it completes the four-year programme, Xueba 01 could become a museum-based opera director, or even start an AI art studio.
But the development hasn’t gone unchallenged.
Some on Chinese social media have raised concerns about priorities. They ask if funding this robotic student might take resources away from real human candidates, some of whom earn less than 3,000 yuan (US$420) monthly.
Others question whether a machine, regardless of how refined, can grasp the emotional layers required in live performance.
Still, the experiment has sparked widespread interest. Earlier, an older version of Xueba 01 completed a half-marathon in humanoid form and placed third. This step into the world of performance and storytelling, however, may be its boldest move yet.
For many, the real story isn’t about a robot earning a degree. It’s about what happens when learning, art, and machines begin to share the same stage.
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