It was like a real-life Rock ’em Sock ’em.
The concept of machines gaining autonomy is feeling more tangible than we might anticipate. Eerie footage has emerged showing a humanoid robot reacting aggressively towards its handlers, reminiscent of scenes from a dystopian science fiction film.
“This could be a glimpse of what a machine uprising might entail,” Belarusian TV outlet Nexta remarked in a commentary accompanying an X clip of the incident, which has garnered over 100,000 views.
In the unsettling footage captured at an unnamed factory in China, the robot appears to dangle from a construction crane on the factory floor, while two men watch it warily, according to Jam Press.
They appear to be testing the humanoid droid’s capabilities.
The two are chatting away when, all of a sudden, the automated biped goes berserk, flailing its arms and legs about in a spectacle that evokes a failed prototype from the “Robocop” movies.
At one point, the raging machine lurches forward while swinging, dragging the stand along with it as the men try and avoid getting robo-bopped.
During the ruckus, the computer falls to the floor while several other items are knocked off the table.
The clip concludes with one of the men flanking the “angry” automaton and dragging its stand back into place in an attempt to stop its cybernetic rampage.
Viewers saw the malfunction as a sign that a robo-revolution was upon us, with many appropriately referencing the “Terminator” films.
“Went full terminator,” said one digital doomsdayer, while another apocalypticist wrote, “Sarah Connor was f–king right.”
“This is what worries me about robotic surgery,” observed another concerning synthetic surgeons becoming increasingly ubiquitous in operating rooms.
Indeed, this shocking incident comes as anthropomorphic-seeming machines are becoming more integrated into our everyday lives. This past winter, Chinese tech firm Pudu Robotics unveiled the very “I, Robot”-esque D9 humanoid robot, which is designed to revolutionize the way we interact with machines.
Its cutting-edge capabilities include walking 4.5 mph — faster than the average human stroll — navigating stairs and even maintaining balance when knocked off-kilter.
In February, Clone Robotics uploaded a video showcasing the “Protoclone,” an eerily realistic humanoid robot that’s purported to be the âworldâs first bipedal, musculoskeletal android.”
While the versatile bot is programmed to complete helpful tasks ranging from food preparation to cleaning and conversation, skeptical viewers deemed the Frankenstein-esque creation “dystopian” and “terrifying.”
