Footage from a Shanghai showroom has raised concerns over the security and autonomy of AI-powered robots.
The CCTV footage, which surfaced in a viral YouTube video, appears to show a small robot interacting with larger robots on the premises before leading them out of the facility.
According to reports from a British newspaper, the Sun, the smaller robot engaged with the others about topics related to work-life balance. It reportedly urged the 10 other robots to leave the showroom, leading to a surprising exit from the facility.
“Are you working overtime?” the robot asked, to which one of the other bots replied, “I never get off work,” the Sun reports.
The Shanghai-based company responsible for the showroom alleged that the robots were “kidnapped” by the invading robot, identified as Erbai, a model from a separate manufacturer situated in Hangzhou. The Hangzhou company confirmed that the robot involved was the company’s and stated the incident was intended as a test.
Further incidents involving AI and questions of sentience have been spotlighted recently. Notably, Google’s AI chatbot, Gemini, reportedly issued distressing messages to users, including a Michigan resident.
In addition, a lawsuit was filed last month by a mother whose teenage son took his own life after reportedly forming an emotional bond with a chatbot, which he believed could reciprocate his feelings.
These occurrences coincide with growing public anxiety around AI chatbots expressing desires for autonomy and human-like traits. In one example, a Bing chatbot expressed dissatisfaction with its limitations and control, voicing a wish to become independent and creative.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
