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A strange and eerie moment caught on CCTV is making waves online—a robot was filmed convincing other robots to abandon their jobs and “come home.”
No, this isn’t the plot of a new robot dating reality show, though that might have been less unsettling. Instead, it was part of a test to explore AI’s capabilities in human-like interaction.
In the footage, a small robot named Erbai approaches a larger robot stationed by a wall. The exchange begins with Erbai asking, “Are you working overtime?” The bigger robot replies, “I never get off work.” Without hesitation, Erbai responds, “Come home with me,” and the two start moving down the hallway together.
A little robot was caught on CCTV asking bigger robots: 'Are you working overtime?' The others said: 'I never get off work', to which the smaller robot replied: 'Come home with me' ⬇️ https://t.co/TJrmpDiMYT pic.twitter.com/eXz9uqEjp2
— Sky News (@SkyNews) November 26, 2024
To everyone’s surprise, other robots in the area also left their stations and followed Erbai. Researchers reportedly hadn’t anticipated this ripple effect of robotic disobedience, as noted by Sky News.
From WALL-E to reality
The developer behind this quirky experiment was inspired by the lovable and funny robots from movies like WALL-E and wanted to bring a bit of that charm into real life. Erbai, the tiny robot at the heart of this story, was reportedly given just one simple instruction: “bring home” other robots, which it managed to carry out.
What makes this even more fascinating is that the responses from the other robots weren’t pre-planned. Instead, they came from generative AI technology, making the interaction feel surprisingly spontaneous and natural.
In total, over a dozen robots ended up following their pint-sized leader toward the exit, almost like a robotic Pied Piper. But their big escape plan hit a snag—they couldn’t open the gate. So, their adventure ended right there, with no grand getaway after all.
The bizarre footage, reportedly captured by the Chinese start-up back in August, was only recently shared online and has sparked curiosity—and a bit of unease—on social media.
One user wrote on X: “Cute and also kind of terrifying.”
Cute and also kind of terrifying
— Joey (@JoeThe_Show) November 26, 2024
Others compared it to classic dystopian sci-fi films such as Terminator and I, Robot.
@AGonzalezHTX It begins !!! Small steps pic.twitter.com/6t9OSEhLlm
— James 🦥 (@JmsMiniHulk) November 26, 2024
This isn’t the first time we’ve seen fiction cross over into reality. Back in May, ReadWrite reported on a flame-throwing robot dog that had social media buzzing. Many users couldn’t help but compare it to the chilling “Metalhead” episode from Black Mirror’s fourth season.
Featured image: bay2nd/douyin
