Huatai Securities: The year 2026 may be a crucial turning point for the AI companionship robot industry, shifting from concept demonstration to commercial implementation.

Huatai Securities' research report indicates that the AI companion robot industry is transitioning from "thematic storytelling" to "business validation," and 2026 may be a pivotal year for the industry to shift from concept demonstration to commercial realization. Four variablesdemand, technology, channels, and ecologyare beginning to resonate: loneliness, aging, and smaller family units are elevating the demand for companion-type devices; the decentralization of large models and the decreasing prices of core components have made it feasible for products to enter mainstream households. In 2026, numerous leading companies will release household companion robots at CES and AWE, with prices dropping to the range of 2000-4000 yuan. This marks the official transition of the industry from the "concept validation phase" to the "scale penetration phase," where shipment volume may become a short-term core catalyst, mid-term retention and subscription renewal rates will be tracked, and long-term value will be assessed based on the positioning within household smart ecosystems.