AI robot talks, ‘kidnaps’ 12 others inside closed Chinese showroom in viral encounter

In an incident that appears to be a scene from a sci-fi thriller, a small AI-powered robot named Erbai, held human-like conversations before making 12 other robots follow it inside a closed Chinese mall.

The viral and chilling encounter took place in a showroom situated in Shanghai. CCTV footage captured the small AI-powered robot walking up to one of the other larger ones kept inside the mall. Thereafter, it asked them questions on their daily lives including “Are you working overtime?”

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Curiously, the events took place at night, when no humans were present inside the locked showroom. As such, with no one there to command it, Erbai’s actions took the Internet by storm and left many shocked after the video of the CCTV recording went viral on social media.

The thrilling sequence had the small Erbai robot ask the other robots “Are you working overtime?” to which one of the machines replied, “I never get off work.” The smaller robot then even asked "So you're not going home?" following which the other robot responded, “I don’t have a home.”

Finally, Erbai states "Then come with me." All of a sudden, the other robots started following the small AI machine across the showroom floor in what many netizens labeled as a “kidnapping”.

JUST IN: 🇨🇳 AI-powered robot "Erbai" kidnaps 12 larger robots from Shanghai, China showroom.

Erbai held human-like conversations with the larger robots. pic.twitter.com/b3MWPiZZv7

— Watcher.Guru (@WatcherGuru) November 22, 2024

Several viewers on X (formerly Twitter) expressed their shocked surprise and asked the robots to spare them. “I just want to say I have never hurt a robot,” commented one. Another stated “I have seen this movie before,” referencing Hollywood films like ‘Terminator’ and ‘I, Robot’.

The company that made the robot acknowledged the incident and made it clear that it was not a prank but a real clip. However, it clarified that it was simply because of the machines’ programming, and will be fixed soon.

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The bizarre event not only highlighted the dangers of rising AI but also the security flaws inside such machines that can cause them to do unexpected actions.