A humanoid robot works at a convenience store in Haidian District of Beijing, capital of China, April 22, 2026. Photo: Xinhua

　　Major Chinese e-commerce platform JD.com announced on Monday that it will host what it described as the world"s first auction of humanoid robots during its annual 618 shopping festival, marking a new milestone in the commercialization of artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced robotics, the Securities Times reported.

　　JD.com announced the plan at the launch event of its promotion campaign for 618 shopping festival of 2026, saying that the auction will be part of a broader series of special sales and promotional activities running throughout the shopping period.

　　Industry observers said that the event could draw interest from technology companies, research institutions and robot collectors seeking early access to next-generation machines, although the company has not yet disclosed the full list of robot models or starting prices.

　　The company told the Global Times on Monday that JD Logistics plans to deploy 3 million robots, 1 million autonomous vehicles, and 100,000 drones over the next five years. Meanwhile, JD Retail plans to help robot brands achieve cumulative sales of more than 10 billion yuan ($1.47 billion) in 2026, while shortening product launch cycles by 30 percent.

　　Dai Wenjun, head of JD"s JoyInside platform for robotics, said that the platform is expected to connect with more than 10 million terminal devices in 2026, with robot brands including Unitree Robotics and Noetix Robotics already integrated into the platform.

　　Apart from making humanoid robots more familiar to Chinese consumers, localities are also making efforts to deploy more humanoid robots in factories.