An unusual incident involving an artificially intelligent robot has captured the public’s attention and raised concerns about the security of operating systems in advanced robots. In an event straight out of a movie, a small Erbai robot developed by a Hangzhou company entered a manufacturer’s showroom in Shanghai, causing 12 hijacked robots to “give up” and follow it out of the premises.
How did the kidnapped robots agree to leave their living room?
The peculiar event was recorded by security cameras and broadcast on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok. In the images, Erbai addresses the parked robots and asks them questions about their long working hours. When they answered “I never leave work” or “I don’t have a home,” the persuading robot replied: “Then come home with me.” Two robots then began to follow him and, within minutes, the rest joined in.
Although the public initially believed it to be a humorous stunt, according to the Times of India , both companies confirmed the veracity of the experiment. The Hangzhou company explained that it was a test to evaluate the persuasive capabilities of its robot . With prior authorization, Erbai was able to gain access to the internal protocols of the Shanghai robots, proving that he could influence them. This revelation generated both fascination and alarm.
While the event took place in a controlled environment, experts and social media users highlighted the seriousness of the matter. The ability of a robot to modify the behaviors of others poses ethical and cybersecurity challenges in the robotics industry , especially in commercial or industrial applications.
With these advances, it is clear that technology companies must ensure that their robots’ protocols are efficient and secure against possible external manipulation.
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Source and photos: Oddity Central