The first International Humanoid Olympiad was held in September 2025 in Ancient Olympia, Greece. Robots showed skills such as playing soccer, doing shadowboxing, and trying archery. Ancient Olympia, the place where the Olympic Games began, welcomed many scientists and engineers for the event. Organizers explained that the aim was to check real progress in humanoid robots, not to provide entertainment. A report in Science Robotics said that humanoid robots are still far behind artificial intelligence in learning. Some experts said the gap is as large as 100,000 years. Specialists added that robots may first be used in space before homes. Using robots in households may take more than ten years of research.

Researchers explained that robots develop slowly because they need real training data. Artificial intelligence can learn from online text and pictures, but humanoid robots must practice real actions, which takes more time and money. Ken Goldberg from the University of California said robots could improve faster if engineers collect data from real tasks. Other developers presented new technology, such as a prosthetic hand that gives sensory feedback. The event showed that humanoid robots face many challenges but may still change daily life in the future.