Antonio Inoki humanoid robot ‘Android Inoki’ set for 2027 launch
Developers are planning on releasing a lifelike humanoid robot of Antonio Inoki in 2027.
At a press conference on Wednesday, February 19, 2026, Inoki Genki Factory announced that it is hoping to have “Android Inoki” launched in time for Inoki’s birthday on February 20, 2027. The company is led by president Keisuke Inoki, Antonio Inoki’s younger brother.
The press conference marked the formal launch of the Android Inoki Project, a collaboration between Inoki Genki Factory, AVITA, and SMBC Value Creation.
The aim of the project, according to its developers, is to preserve Inoki’s legacy in an interactive format for future generations and educational purposes. Inoki, the founder of NJPW, passed away on October 1, 2022, at the age of 79.
The project is being done in two stages. The first involves building an AI version of Inoki designed to replicate his speech patterns and personality traits. That AI component will ultimately be integrated into an android robot body intended to physically resemble Inoki.
Inoki Genki Factory wrote:
“Inoki Genki Factory Co., Ltd., AVITA Corporation, and SMBC Value Creation Co., Ltd. have announced the launch of the “Android Inoki” project to create an AI Inoki and humanoid robot, coinciding with Antonio Inoki’s birthday (February 20th).
This project is an effort to embody the legacy of Antonio Inoki, who left behind achievements and ideas that should be passed on to future generations, using humanoid and AI technology as a foundation. It will be based on the technology of AVITA, led by Hiroshi Ishiguro (Professor Emeritus at Osaka University), a leading researcher in human-like humanoid robots and androids.
Furthermore, this project is not merely entertainment, but is positioned as an initiative with social significance, such as “the inheritance of personality, thoughts, and memories” and ‘presenting a legacy to the next generation in an interactive form,’ and will be promoted as an example of AVITA’s initiatives in the field of physical AI.“
In February 2024, IGF announced plans to create an AI version of Inoki with the goal of helping finish his unfinished poetry collection. The company now says the newly announced Android Inoki Project is essentially a fresh start.
Social media posts from IGF include an AI version of Inoki. The video is below:
Ian Carey is a writer from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, whose work has been featured in NOW Magazine, The Huffington Post, and more. A lifelong wrestling aficionado born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, he has covered the industry for a decade and a half. He joined the f4wonline.com team in 2019.