“XPENG Humanoid Walks So Naturally People Thought a Human Was Inside…” CEO Unzips Robot On Stage to Shut Down Rumors

XPENG’s humanoid robot “Iron”, unveiled at the company’s AI Day event, sparked global speculation after its human-like walking performance went viral—so convincing that social media users claimed “a human must be inside.” In response, XPENG’s CEO personally unzipped the robot’s back on camera to reveal its internal mechanical structure, directly confronting the controversy.

XPENG Unveils Humanoid “Iron” at AI Day… Moving Toward a Tesla-Like Expansion Strategy

XPENG introduced three autonomous robo-taxi models and the second-generation humanoid robot Iron at its AI Day event on the 5th, officially declaring its transformation from an EV manufacturer into a full-fledged AI and robotics company.

The company revealed that its robo-taxis run on four in-house “Turing” AI chips, offering 3,000 TOPS of computing power and enabling real-time operation of its world-model-based Vision-Language-Action (VLA) system. The same technology powers Iron, allowing AI-driven decision-making across sensing, understanding, and action.

Iron is equipped with three Turing chips, and users can customize its body design and hairstyle. XPENG emphasized its commitment to speed, announcing that mass production of Iron will begin “next year,” not in 2026 as previously expected.

“It Looks Like a Real Person Walking” — Iron’s Catwalk-Style Gait Goes Viral

The biggest source of controversy stemmed from Iron’s movements.

A walking demo of the robot spread explosively across social media, with global users reacting:

“Indistinguishable from a human.”

“Looks like someone is inside.”

“Too natural for a robot.”

Its catwalk-like gait, resembling professional runway walking, fueled memes and speculation that the robot was secretly human-operated.

Iron features a body with 82 degrees of freedom (DOF), enabling extremely precise joint control. XPENG Co-President Brian Gu said in an interview with Global Times that the goal is “to replicate human motion as closely as possible.” He added that the humanoid appearance isn’t an aesthetic choice but a practical design decision to improve functionality in human-centered environments.

CEO Personally Unzips the Robot to Debunk the “Man Inside” Theory

As rumors intensified, XPENG CEO He Xiaopeng stepped in with a decisive response.

On his social media and YouTube channels, he posted a video unzipping the back of Iron and showing its internal mechanical components. In the video, he notes:

“You can hear the cooling fans when standing next to it.”

“The hand size alone makes human operation impossible.”

The video quickly went viral across Weibo, Reddit, and X, drawing reactions like “It really is a machine” and “The robot era feels real now.” Some commenters joked that this might be “the first time a CEO has unzipped a robot on camera to disprove a rumor.”

Similar to Tesla, Yet Not a Copy… “We Developed Some Technologies First”

XPENG’s rapid expansion into humanoids and robo-taxis has led many to call it “the Tesla of China.” With AI Day, the competitive dynamic between the two companies is clearer than ever.

XPENG leadership pushed back on claims of imitation, stating:

“We developed some technologies before Tesla—we’re just not as aggressive in promotion.”

Indeed, XPENG successfully conducted a flying car demonstration in downtown Beijing in 2024, ahead of Elon Musk’s plan to reveal Tesla’s flying car “by the end of the year.” This fuels speculation that XPENG’s robotics and aerial mobility divisions may directly challenge Tesla’s robot and robo-taxi ambitions.

Rumors Settled After Internal Reveal… The Global Humanoid Race Begins in Earnest

By responding transparently and revealing Iron’s internal structure, XPENG has quelled the “human inside” rumors. The robot’s uncanny walking, once a source of controversy, has now become a symbol of both XPENG’s technological prowess and brand visibility.

With mass production set to begin next year, all eyes are on how XPENG’s humanoid robots will compete globally—and how the inevitable showdown with Tesla’s Optimus will unfold.

Tech Insider Columnist ㅣtlswnqor@naver.com