On October 16, news emerged that the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT) announced its plans during the 2026 AI Industry Conference, organized by the Artificial Intelligence Industry Development Alliance and held from October 14 to 16, 2026. During this conference, the AI Research Institute of CAICT, in partnership with the Department of Electronic Engineering at Tsinghua University and the Embodied AI Testing Laboratory, is set to jointly release the Chinese edition of the "Embodied AI Development Report (2026)".

In a parallel development, the English version of this report is scheduled for release on the same day, October 16, during a seminar coinciding with the third meeting of the International Telecommunication Union's (ITU-T) Focus Group on Embodied AI Standards (FG-EAI).

The report zeroes in on the pivotal phase where embodied AI is transitioning from laboratory validation to widespread application. It offers a comprehensive analysis of the novel changes and challenges that have surfaced in industrial development over the past year. The report delves into the conceptual definitions of physical AI and embodied AI, encourages rational thinking amidst the industry's rapid growth, and elucidates the four-element framework essential for embodied AI.

Furthermore, it explores the evolution of pathways and business models, tracing their journey from "demonstration" to "application". The report also highlights the advancements made in evaluation systems and international standards. Concluding on a forward-looking note, the report presents an outlook on future development across four key dimensions: technical architecture, application scenarios, evaluation systems, and safety and ethics.