AI Robot Goes BERSERK on Engineers in Leaked Chinese Lab Footage | Malfunction or Start of Skynet?

Footage making the rounds on social media shows an AI-powered humanoid robot having a startling meltdown without warning. The video, apparently leaked from a Chinese lab, has become bigger than itself, triggering debate over artificial intelligence, robotics safety, and the international race to deploy robotic humanoids at scale.

As general-purpose humanoid robots become more accessible, a shift already underway, such moments are bound to become more frequent and potentially more dangerous.

The 31-second clip went viral after a reddit user posted it in the oddly terrifying sub reddit with the title “Robot on hook went berserk all of a sudden.” The community’s users leaned into science fiction tropes with jokes about the Terminator, Skynet, Robocop, and Iron Man.

The clip spread across social media, eliciting a range of amusement, technical curiosity, and skepticism. The incident has sparked broader conversations about the current state of humanoid robotics, the challenges developers face, and the public’s perception of rapidly advancing artificial intelligence technologies.

The viral video reflects a divide in how China and the West approach humanoid robotics development amid an escalating technological arms race.

Messaging from Western companies like Boston Dynamics, Apptronik , Agility Robotics, and even Tesla center around gradual rollout, formal safety systems, and engineering robustness. They typically avoid public demos that could do brand damage.

In contrast, Chinese companies like Unitree and EngineAI are putting their humanoid robots through grueling public tests, including synchronized dance performances unpolished and even half marathons. There’s less fear of embarrassment, and more willingness to test prototypes in public view.

The Shocking Rise of Unitree Robotics, Wang Xingxing, Leaders in China's Push for AI Humanoid Robots
https://youtu.be/W1KO06jaebE

0:00 - The Viral Robot Meltdown
0:36 - Reddit Reacts: Sci-Fi Tropes & Memes
1:03 - Why This Footage Sparked Real Debate
1:16 - Westwood Robotics Responds
1:37 - Themis V2: Safety-First Design
2:22 - East vs. West: A Robotics Arms Race
3:08 - Unitree’s Public Test Philosophy
3:20 - What Happened in the Bilibili Clip?
3:35 - Vibe Coding & AI Safety Risks
4:03 - Robot Kombat & Real Steel Vision
4:49 - Unitree’s Combat Bots & VR Pilots
5:05 - Inside Unitree’s Rise: H1 & G1 Overview
6:06 - The Humanoid Robot Gold Rush
6:29 - Was the Viral Video a Leak or a Stunt?
7:01 - Sim Footage Reveals the Truth?
7:33 - A Pattern of Public Malfunctions
8:09 - The Future of Unitree & Embodied AI


#ai #airobot #china