VIENNA, Aug. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Recently, Daolin Ma, Founder and CEO of Xense Robotics, published a bylined article in the World Economic Forum titled "Why tactile intelligence may become the next infrastructure layer for physical AI."
In the article, Ma explores the next technological focus of Physical AI, the value of tactile intelligence, and what it will take for robots to operate reliably in the real world.
The article begins with the broader shift from artificial intelligence operating in the digital world to AI entering the physical world. It examines a question that is becoming increasingly important: when robots enter factories, warehouses, hospitals, and homes, is simply "understanding" the world enough?
As artificial intelligence moves from digital spaces into the physical world, the article argues that the central challenge for robots is no longer only whether they can understand the world, but whether they can interact with it reliably.
The next stage of Physical AI may therefore depend not only on building larger-scale models, but also on equipping robots with richer and more complete physical perception. Tactile feedback, including information about contact, force, friction, deformation, and material properties, may become a crucial layer connecting intelligence with the physical world.
Since its founding, Xense Robotics has remained focused on the field of tactile intelligence. The company has developed a leading position in theoretical research while maintaining a strong focus on practical implementation, combining technical depth with a forward-looking approach to product and application development.
Today, Xense has established a full-stack ecosystem for physical interaction spanning hardware, data, and models. It is also one of the few industrial pioneers in China with the capability to deploy tactile intelligence in real-world applications.
Looking ahead, Xense will continue advancing tactile intelligence to accelerate the adoption of Physical AI.
About Xense Robotics
Xense Robotics (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. was founded in May 2024 by Daolin Ma, an Associate Professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University and the sole winner of ICRA 2021's Best Paper Award. The company is a high-tech enterprise focused on intelligent robots, physical intelligence, and the perception and autonomous interaction capabilities required for robots to operate in the real world.
Xense has developed an integrated technology system covering hardware, data, models, and real-world applications. The company has independently developed multimodal tactile sensors, the XTac tactile data collection system, and the VTLA multimodal foundation model.
The VTLA model integrates visual, tactile, language, and action information to enhance robots' perception, understanding, and manipulation capabilities in real-world physical interactions. This further strengthens Xense's technological foundation in tactile intelligence.
Building on its hardware-data-model-application capabilities, Xense is advancing tactile intelligence from foundational hardware and real-world interaction data to embodied intelligence model training and application deployment.
To date, Xense has served more than 300 leading companies and top research institutions. The company has established partnerships with organizations including Li Auto, CATL, and L'Oréal, and has received strategic investment from Hillhouse Ventures, Oriza Seed, and Li Auto, AGIBOT, TARS, among others.
Looking ahead, Xense will continue building the "tactile foundation layer" for the era of embodied intelligence, helping robots move beyond seeing the world toward understanding and interacting with it.
Original article:
https://www.weforum.org/stories/artificial-intelligence/tactile-intelligence-next-infrastructure-layer-for-physical-ai/
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Xense Robotics CEO Daolin Ma Publishes Bylined Article in the World Economic Forum
HONG KONG, Aug. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Manulife Hong Kong today announced that it has been selected to participate in the First Cohort of the GenA.I. Sandbox++ ("GenA.I. Sandbox++"), a cross-sector initiative led by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority ("HKMA"), the Securities and Futures Commission ("SFC"), the Insurance Authority ("IA") and the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority ("MPFA") as well as the Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company Limited ("Cyberport") to promote the responsible adoption of Generative Artificial Intelligence ("GenAI") across the financial services sector. Two use cases from Manulife Hong Kong have been admitted to the programme, spanning the insurance and Mandatory Provident Fund ("MPF") sectors.
As one of only five insurers selected to join the GenA.I. Sandbox++, Manulife Hong Kong's participation further reinforces its long-standing commitment to the responsible adoption of AI and its strategic priority to become an AI-powered organization. The selection adds to the company's recent inclusion as a Core Participating Insurer in the IA's AI Cohort Programme, while underscoring Manulife's growing role in advancing industry-wide collaboration and supporting Hong Kong's development as a regional hub for AI innovation.
On the insurance side, Manulife Hong Kong's BetterClaims AI was selected to explore how GenAI can enhance the customer claims experience by helping advisors provide timely answers to medical and critical illness claims enquiries with greater accuracy and confidence. Designed as an AI-powered claims knowledge assistant built on Manulife's approved policy content, the solution gives advisors timely, structured and clearly referenced access to relevant coverage information, policy definitions and claims guidelines at the point of customer engagement – all linked to authoritative source materials – enabling them to respond with greater accuracy and confidence.
Claims assessments and decisions remain firmly with qualified claims professionals, reflecting Manulife's commitment to responsible AI adoption underpinned by strong governance, transparency and human oversight. This helps customers receive clearer guidance, faster responses and more consistent support – even before a claim is filed – helping them better understand their coverage and navigate the claims process at some of life's most challenging moments.
"At Manulife, we believe AI should make insurance easier by empowering our people to serve customers better," said Wilton Kee, Chief Executive Officer of Manulife Hong Kong and Macau. "BetterClaims AI helps our advisors give customers clearer, more consistent answers when it matters most, while keeping human expertise, accountability and robust governance firmly at the centre. We are pleased to work with the local regulators and our technology partners to explore how GenAI can raise professional standards, elevate the customer experience and deliver benefits that extend across the wider industry."
On the retirement side, Manulife Hong Kong is proud to collaborate with Cyberport to create a GenAI-Assisted Red-Flag Tool for Intermediary Fraud Risk Review. This initiative demonstrates our commitment to leveraging innovation responsibly to enhance fraud risk oversight and drive smarter, more efficient review processes. Designed with strong governance, transparency and human oversight at its core, the solution helps investigators identify potential risk patterns associated with certain MPF-related transactions while putting members' interests first and supporting a safer MPF investment experience. The solution leverages advanced AI, document intelligence and analytics capabilities to support the identification and monitoring of intermediary-related fraud risks. Importantly, it serves as a decision-support tool only and does not automate investigations or enforcement actions.
"As life expectancies increase and retirement needs evolve, we see it as our responsibility to help our customers plan and manage their financial future with greater confidence," said Jeanie Ho, Head of Hong Kong and Macau Retirement, Manulife. "We are exploring how AI can support the earlier identification of risk signals and enable more informed reviews, while keeping human judgement and accountability at the centre of every decision. We look forward to sharing our learnings through GenA.I. Sandbox++ and contributing to safer outcomes for MPF scheme members."
The GenA.I. Sandbox++ provides participating institutions with a controlled, risk-managed environment to test and pilot innovative AI use cases. As part of the programme, participants receive access to advanced computing resources through Cyberport's AI Supercomputing Centre, supporting experimentation and development while promoting responsible AI deployment across the financial sector. The initiative also encourages collaboration between financial institutions, technology providers and regulators to foster innovation and strengthen Hong Kong's fintech ecosystem.
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About Manulife Hong Kong and Macau
Manulife Hong Kong has been a trusted name for more than 125 years, while we have served the Macau market for three decades. Since our operations began in Asia in 1897, we have grown into one of the top-tier providers of financial services, offering a diverse range of protection and wealth products and services to over 2.6 million customers in Hong Kong and Macau. We are committed to helping make decisions easier and lives better for our customers.
Manulife Hong Kong and Macau, through Manulife International Holdings Limited, owns Manulife (International) Limited, Manulife Investment Management (Hong Kong) Limited, and Manulife Provident Funds Trust Company Limited. These entities are all subsidiaries of Manulife Financial Corporation.
About Manulife Wealth & Asset Management
As part of Manulife Financial Corporation, Manulife Wealth & Asset Management's mission is to make decisions easier and lives better by helping people invest confidently to pursue a more secure financial future. Our strength comes from the diversity of our global asset management expertise and distribution capabilities. Our global investment teams span equities, fixed income, alternative credit, private markets, and multi-asset solutions. We provide investment, financial advice, and retirement plan services to millions of individuals, institutions, and retirement plan members worldwide. At the heart of our approach are three cultural pillars: Partner for Progress, Trust through Transparency, and Intellectual Curiosity. These values shape how we build long term relationships, develop differentiated investment strategies, and empower advisors and clients to seek meaningful financial outcomes. Whether through cutting-edge technology, AI innovation, personalized advice, or sustainable stewardship, Manulife Wealth & Asset Management is a trusted partner helping clients navigate complexity and invest with confidence. Not all offerings are available in all jurisdictions. For additional information, please visit manulifeim.com.
About Manulife
Manulife Financial Corporation is a leading international financial services provider, headquartered in Toronto, Canada. Anchored in our ambition to be the number one choice for customers, we operate as Manulife across Canada and Asia, and primarily as John Hancock in the United States, providing financial advice, insurance and health solutions for individuals, groups and businesses. Through Manulife Wealth & Asset Management, we offer global investment solutions, financial advice, and retirement plan services to individuals, institutions, and retirement plan members worldwide. At the end of 2025, we had more than 37,000 employees, over 106,000 agents, and thousands of distribution partners, serving over 37 million customers with operations across 25 markets globally. We trade as 'MFC' on the Toronto, New York, and Philippine stock exchanges, and under '945' on the Hong Kong stock exchange. Not all offerings are available in all jurisdictions. For additional information, please visit manulife.com.
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Manulife Selected for Regulators' First Cohort of GenA.I. Sandbox++ to Advance Customer Experience, Anti-Fraud and Risk Management
