We May Not Know How Strong AI Humanoid Robots Really Are

Robot demonstrations and lawsuits are raising questions and concerns about the capabilities — and strength — of humanoid robots.

First in the spotlight is the robotics company Figure AI, which is facing a lawsuit from former safety engineer Robert Gruendel. The lawsuit alleges the company’s Figure 02 humanoid was shown in tests to be strong enough to “fracture a human skull,” and that Gruendel was fired after raising concerns.

In a statement to CNBC, a Figure spokesperson denied the allegations and said Gruendel was fired for “poor performance.” We reached out to Figure and Gruendel through his lawyers and have not yet heard back.

Across the globe, the CEO of Chinese robotics firm Engine AI was recently kicked to the ground by the company’s own T800 robot, appropriately (or inappropriately) sharing a name with the model of robot played by Arnold Schwarzenegger in the Terminator films.

The CEO wore padding and was prepared for the stunt, but it’s difficult to discern from the video itself and the available information exactly how strong the robot is.

Max torque and carrying capacity don’t translate conveniently into a calculation of how strong a robot could hit, or how much damage it could potentially do to a human body.

Taken together, these two parallel news stories raise questions about what kind of information humanoid robot developers should share so that the risks of this technology are properly understood.

To see both of these robots in action, check out the latest episode of What the Future, embedded in this article.