TSMC Wei Zhejia critiques: Chinese robots bouncing around are just for show, the head is useless! The key still comes from Nvidia!

TSMC Chairman Wei Zhejia recently spoke at the 25th anniversary celebration of Asia University, discussing the development of robots and semiconductors. He straightforwardly stated that if you look at China continuously developing robots that jump around, it’s just for show. It’s useless, merely a spectacle. He pointed out that the key is to enable the robot’s brain to function, and who makes the brain? Nvidia, AMD, and many American companies, but 95% of the brain is manufactured by TSMC.

The key to robotics lies in the integration of sensing, computation, and decision-making

TSMC Chairman Wei Zhejia pointed out that the public’s imagination of robots often stays at the level of movement performance. In reality, the true core of robots depends on the massive semiconductor technology support behind them, especially the integration of sensing, computing, and communication capabilities. He stated that robots must first have the ability to “see.” To achieve this, the semiconductor industry has developed various light sensors, allowing robots to recognize light, objects, and positions, establishing a basic understanding of their environment.

In addition to vision, tactile and temperature sensing are equally essential. Wei Zhejia pointed out that if robots are to interact with humans, such as hugging or pouring tea, they must have precise pressure sensors and temperature sensors; otherwise, they cannot judge force or temperature differences, affecting practicality and safety. Behind these capabilities are semiconductor technologies. Robots also need to continuously collect large amounts of information and transmit it to the “brain” for processing, so they can perform tasks based on trained knowledge.

Wei Zhejia: Chinese robots jumping around are just for show, useless

When discussing this “brain,” Wei Zhejia directly pointed out that American companies still hold the core dominance. He said that if you look at China’s ongoing development of jumping robots, it’s just for show. It’s useless, merely a spectacle. The key is to make the robot’s brain operational, and who makes the brain? Nvidia, AMD, and many American companies, but 95% of the brain is manufactured by TSMC.

Currently, the high-end computing chips required for robots and artificial intelligence are mainly designed by American companies like NVIDIA and AMD. This includes edge AI platforms like NVIDIA Jetson Thor launched at GTC 2026, which focus on real-time perception, planning, and operation.

This article, TSMC’s Wei Zhejia criticizes: China’s jumping robots are just for show, useless! The core still comes from Nvidia, first appeared on Chain News ABMedia.