VIDEO of robot attack in Indonesia goes viral:Garners 10 crore views; reignites safety debate

A video of an office in Indonesia has gone viral on social media, showing a humanoid robot attacking its own colleagues. This video has been viewed more than 100 million (10 crore) times. In the video, the handler was giving a demo of the robot’s skills, when it suddenly attacked. People watching the video thought it was a robot malfunction, but investigation revealed that this video was completely scripted. Robot Shown Performing Martial Arts This video was first posted on July 5 by an Indonesian TikTok user ‘Joko Prabuwesi’, after which it spread to other social media platforms. In the video, the robot is first shown performing martial arts-like moves. After this, it turns towards its handler standing behind it and kicks another person, knocking them to the ground. Debate begins on the dangers of robotics After the video went viral, an atmosphere of fear and concern arose among social media users. Many people speculated that the robot’s software had failed and it had gone out of control. Meanwhile, some users expressed concern that increasingly advanced humanoid robots could become a major threat to humans in the future. Choreography was done to showcase the robot’s agility According to a report by ‘Interesting Engineering’, this video was not a real accident, but rather a demonstration prepared by the robot’s handlers. The entire sequence was choreographed to demonstrate the robot’s functions and control. Every movement of the robot was pre-programmed to showcase its agility, balance, and responsiveness. Debate Sparked Over Advancement of Robotic Technology Although this video was created purely for entertainment, the robot’s realistic movements and the natural reactions of the people present were so authentic that it sparked a new debate on the internet. People are discussing how lifelike and advanced modern humanoid robots have become. Robot Kicked a Child in China Real incidents involving humanoid robots have also come to light recently. In June, during an event in Xinjiang, China, a ‘Unitree G1’ robot performing like a joker kicked a child in the stomach. Reason Robot Hugged the Student According to Global Times, during a dance performance at ‘Xi’an Eurasia University’ in Shaanxi Province, China in April, a humanoid robot suddenly hugged a female student. Initially, the university staff denied pre-programming and attributed it to a malfunction in the AI software. However, later the robot’s supplier clarified that this incident occurred due to a signal break at the event venue.