China Enrolls Robot Xueba 01 in Arts PhD

China's first humanoid robot, Xueba 01 (also known as Scholar 01), has been admitted into the four-year PhD program in Drama and Film at the Shanghai Theatre Academy, making it the first physically embodied AI in the nation's arts education. Developed by the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology and DroidUp Robotics, Xueba 01 stands 1.75 meters tall, weighs 30 kilograms, and is capable of lifelike interaction and fluent Mandarin. Its curriculum covers stage performance, scriptwriting, set design, motion control, and language generation, with an emphasis on traditional Chinese opera, under the mentorship of Professor Yang Qingqing. The robot aims to engage in creative collaboration, assist in choreography, and provide emotional support, but its ability to embody artistic expression is debated by experts and students. The experiment has sparked significant discussion on social media, including concerns about resource allocation and skepticism about the robot's artistic potential. If successful, Xueba 01 could direct operas or lead a robotic art studio, signaling broader AI-driven innovation in the performing arts.