A curious scene unfolded in Shanghai recently when a tiny robot, Erbai, managed to “kidnap” 12 larger robots from a robotics showroom. The incident, captured on video and shared on Douyin (China’s version of TikTok), quickly went viral, blending amusement with a sense of unease about the power of artificial intelligence.

Erbai, developed by Hangzhou-based robotics company, Unitree Robotics, initiated the unusual encounter by questioning a larger robot about its working hours. Said encounter started when Erbai asked one of the big bots the question, “Are you working overtime?”, to which the robot replied, “I never get off work.”.

Erbai then asked, “So you’re not going home?”, promoting a response by the same bigger bot to sadly say, “I don’t have a home”. In an amusing but somewhat creepy fashion now that you think about it, Erbai responds with, “Then come home with me,”, and proceeds to lead them the way out of the showroom.

This whole interaction was caught on camera and uploaded online. What first entertained and amused viewers later on terrified them at the thought of how far AI can go. One cannot deny how this scenario seems like the start of a terrifying sci-fi film where robots will revolt, and that being so, some netizens would say that this whole interaction was fake. However, both the video’s original poster and the company whose robots were “kidnapped” confirmed that the event was indeed real, or rather a test.

The Hangzhou company revealed that the incident was a carefully planned test to show how Erbai, the tiny robot, can be programmed with basic commands. What they did not plan and expect though was how the large robots would respond to the point of following it.

With this interaction and event, discussions about AI emerged. It illustrated just how capable advanced AI can be and how important the responsibilities of developers and manufacturers are in developing this.

Figure introduced us to Figure 01 in November of last year but the same company has dropped the latest version of its humanoid robot, Figure 02. In this latest version of the dynamic bipedal humanoid robot, one can automatically see the significant upgrades and advancements the company has made in order to keep up with the evolving landscape and rather competitive industry.

One of the most noticeable changes in Figure 02 compared to its predecessor, Figure 01, is the streamlined design. The wires, which were more exposed in the earlier model, are now neatly tucked away, signaling a shift from the prototyping stage toward a more polished and refined version.

This evolution in design mirrors what we’ve observed in other second-generation humanoid robots, such as Tesla’s Teslabot and Boston Dynamics’ Atlas, where aesthetic and functional improvements are often aligned with progress toward commercial viability, and of course, aesthetics.

Equipped with six onboard cameras, Figure 02 gains a comprehensive view of its environment, enhancing its ability to interact with the world around it. The robot’s hands, featuring ten fingers and 16 degrees of freedom, are engineered to deliver what Figure describes as “human-like strength.”

Speaking of, Figure 02 can now carry a max load of 25kg or approximately 55 pounds. This is a noticeable increase from the 44-pound carrying capacity of the Figure 01. This upgrade in finger dexterity and arm strength unlocks massive potential for Figure 02 to be deployed in various industries and jobs, from healthcare to factory work.

As impressive as all these may already seem, Figure takes it up a notch by integrating artificial intelligence into Figure 02. With the company’s partnership with OpenAI technology, Figure 02 can have similar interactive features available in ChatGPT’s mobile app.

Best of all, Figure 02 has been installed with built-in speakers and microphones, so by pairing that with its AI capabilities, humans can start engaging in flawless conversation with said humanoid robot. This makes Figure 02 not just suited for physical tasks but also for roles that would require human-robot interaction.

But what are all these upgrades for if your humanoid robot easily runs out of steam? Well, Figure has “figured” that one out by upgrading Figure 02’s battery life. The company has installed a new battery pack inside the robot’s torso, extending its operational time by more than 50% over Figure 01, which was originally a 5-hour runtime. This increase in battery life means that Figure 02 can work for longer and accomplish more tasks in one day.

We reckon that BMW might just be the first recipient of and witness to Figure 02’s working capabilities as Figure has teamed up with the conglomerate. This collaboration between Figure and BMW may lead to the exploration of utilizing humanoid robots, such as Figure 02, in the process of automobile manufacturing, potentially revolutionizing how cars and other products are made.

With all that said, Figure 02 has certainly helped advance the field of humanoid robotics. These upgrades and collaborations provide us with a glimpse of what the future of robotics may be in the next few years, and we are certainly excited about it.

“The project allows our undergraduate and graduate students to collect experience on a full robotic platform,” Jan-Nico Zaech, the project’s scientific supervisor, said. The Nao Robots were certainly a sight to see and became proof of how important teaching robotics is to students. As such, it was good to showcase the work of these students in a prestigious event such as the AI for Good Global Summit.

Organizers of the summit held in Geneva also showed ways in which technology could improve and transform lives. “…AI can be embedded in so many more things in every life… Whether it’s for flood forecasting, disaster management, and early-warning systems, in agriculture, or in health. It’s across the board,” said Tomas Lamanauskas, Deputy Secretary-General of the U.N.’s International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

With that, other displays in the summit consist of prosthetic robotic limbs that adapt using AI, and robot pets, such as robot cats and robot dogs, that can serve as companions for the visually impaired.

Overall, this summit showed just how pivotal AI is in transforming the future of robotics. With this technology, the application and uses of robots can definitely broaden up, and more importantly, advance in a way that further helps humans and our society.

Four AI robots dressed up as pit crew members emerged during the FMS at Texas Motor Speedway to promote ‘The Creator’. It seems the promotional stint worked as fans couldn’t help but stop, stare, and take videos of the lifelike AI robots present as an in-race trailer for ‘The Creator’ played.

The use of AI robots to promote the film is genius as the sci-fi film directed by Gareth Edwards is set against the background of a war between humans and AI robots. By having AI robots “take over” the Texas Motor Speedway, onlookers couldn’t help but feel amazed yet disturbed, emotions that perhaps the film and marketing team would want to evoke. There have also been other reports of these AI robots watching football games and crashing practices just to further emphasize how they can soon take over (and blend in) our daily lives.

Although of course, these are done for promotional purposes to get people to talk about the film. It did generate some buzz among netizens about the potential concerns AI robots present and how fiction can be turned into reality before we know it.