On February 16, 2026, during the CCTV Spring Festival Gala, robots from four companies made frequent appearances from the beginning of the show, making it the edition with the highest density of robot appearances. Some netizens described it as a “battle for brand exposure.” The topic of “robots fully invading the Spring Festival Gala” quickly became a hot topic on Weibo, sparking discussions.
The program schedule showed that Magic Atom, Songyan Power, Universe Tech, and Galaxy Universal, all established in 2023 and relatively new to the industry, showcased their robots on the Spring Festival Gala stage. Magic Atom’s robot, established in 2023, appeared first, performing as a dance partner for singers like Chen Xiaochun and Yan Chengxu. Then, Songyan Power’s robot, founded just over two years ago, performed sketches with Cai Ming and Wang Tianfang. Universe Tech’s robot showcased martial arts with the Henan Tagou Martial Arts School. Lastly, Galaxy Universal’s robot appeared in a New Year’s microfilm with Shen Teng and Ma Li.
Among the four companies, Universe Tech made its third appearance on the Spring Festival Gala stage, while the rest made their debut appearances.
While many netizens expressed their liking for the robotic performances, there were also many questioning the abundance of robots. Comments like “Why are there so many robots?” and “It’s as if they want to squeeze a robot into every program” were common. Some questioned the practicality, asking “When will they teach robots to do household chores?”
One netizen analyzed the comprehensive invasion of robots and AI in this year’s Spring Festival Gala, speculating that the heavy investment in these technologies is due to the current capital market trend. Despite the lack of profitability in these products, companies seek additional funding from secondary markets to sustain their operations. Thus, the Spring Festival Gala is seen as a prime platform to tell their stories to the market.
Another netizen bluntly stated, “To put it frankly, it’s all about spending money to raise attention and increase stock prices. It feels a bit detached from reality.” Some expressed a nostalgic sentiment, lamenting the loss of the traditional New Year atmosphere and human touch, with one remarking, “It’s all just a robot smell now.”