China: Small Robot Kidnaps 12 Big Robots of Other Brand, Video Goes Viral
In a bizarre incident, a small AI-powered robot from Hangzhou "kidnapped" 12 larger robots from a Shanghai showroom, raising concerns about AI security.
In a bizarre incident that has both fascinated and alarmed the internet, a small, AI-powered robot from Hangzhou City, China successfully "kidnapped" 12 bigger robots from a showroom of a Shanghai robotics company. According to the reports, the small, AI-powered robot named Erbai, engaged in a conversation with the larger robots. During the conversation: Erbai asked the bigger robots, “Are you working overtime?” casually inquiring about work-life balance. One of the bigger robots replied, “I never get off work.”
Erbai: “So you’re not going home?” Bigger Robot: “I don’t have a home.” Erbai: “Then come home with me,” and led all the bigger robots out of the showroom. As 2 large robots followed Erbai, the rest 10 robots also started following it as Erbai uttered the command “Go home.” All the larger robots left their respective stations under Erbai’s influence and followed Erbai obediently out of the showroom without hesitation.The whole incident was captured in the showroom’s CCTV footage and the video has gone viral on social media. Initially, the video was considered a fake or humorous digital hoax (practical joke). However, both the Shanghai company and the Hangzhou manufacturer confirmed that the viral incident was real. A spokesperson from Hangzhou robot manufacturer (the manufacturer of Erbai) confirmed that the small robot featured in the viral video was indeed one of their models, Erbai, and that the "kidnapping" was real. They announced that they’ll release more details about the incident later. The Shanghai robotics company revealed that Erbai exploited a security vulnerability in the larger robots' systems to take control of their actions. They also said that Erbai had somehow gained access to the internal operating protocols (systems) of the larger robots along with the necessary permissions which allowed it to control them.Furthermore, they added that it is virtually impossible for any robot to start a conversation and abduct other robots on its own. This strange & unsettling incident has raised major concerns about the security of AI systems and the potential risks associated with granting them advanced & automatic capabilities.What are your thoughts on this incident? Tell us in the comments below!
