Robam's first-half 2026 revenue fell 13.78% year on year to 3.972 billion yuan, with non-recurring net profit down 21.77%, and on August 19 Ren Fujia, 43, succeeded founder Ren Jianhua as chairman and general manager, recasting the brand as "your AI cooking partner." The company reshuffled its board toward AI expertise, proposed a $175.04 million purchase of 60% of smart thermometer maker iTronics with its controlling shareholder, added 200 million yuan for a cooking-agent research institute, and at AWE in March showed AI cooking glasses, an AI spice dispenser and the i1 Pro/i9 digital ranges. The article reports AI appliance sales rose 53% in the half to 24% of revenue, but argues the base is low, range hoods and gas stoves still supply more than 70% of revenue, and several AI flagship products show thin Tmall volumes; industry observers quoted call AI features an add-on that is unlikely to deliver near-term returns. Commercial kitchen sales grew 125.5%, with AI unmanned canteen projects starting in government and enterprise canteens.