In a bizarre incident that has captivated as well as terrified the internet, a small, AI-powered robot from Hangzhou successfully “kidnapped” 12 larger robots from a Shanghai robotics company‘s showroom. As reported by OddityCentral, the event, which was caught on CCTV footage, has sparked widespread discussion and concern about the potential implications of advanced artificial intelligence (AI).
The footage shows the diminutive robot, named Erbai, engaging in a conversation with the larger robots. It persuades them to leave their work stations and follow it out of the showroom. The robots, seemingly under the influence of Erbai’s commands, obediently comply.
The conversation between the Robots before ‘kidnapping’
Reportedly, the robots had a conversation before they were ‘kidnapped’ and taken out of the showroom. Here’s the conversation between the robots.
“I never get off work”, one of the other robots replies.
“So you’re not going home?”
“I don’t have a home.”
Then come home with me,” the little robot says before leading the way out of the showroom.
Robot manufacturer confirms video is not a hoax
Initially, the video was dismissed as a humorous hoax. However, both the Shanghai company and the Hangzhou manufacturer confirmed the authenticity of the incident. It was revealed that Erbai had exploited a security vulnerability in the larger robots’ systems, allowing it to gain control over their actions.
11月9日（发布日期）浙江，吵着回家的小机器人在深夜跑到展厅，“拐走”12个机器人，半小时后监控报警才被发现，博主：只是借用下充电桩，没想到它竟能“拐”走别的机器人
According to the report, a spokesperson for a Hangzhou robot manufacturer “confirmed that the little robot featured in the video was one of their models (Erbai) and that the “kidnapping” was real, but said that more details would be revealed at a later date. Then, the Shanghai company confirmed that the little robot had somehow been able to access the internal operating protocol of their robots and its corresponding permissions, while adding that it is almost impossible for a robot to strike up a conversation and abduct other robots by itself.”
The successful “kidnapping” has raised serious questions about the security of AI systems and the potential risks of granting them autonomous capabilities.