A tiny robot named Erbai "kidnapped" 12 larger robots from a showroom in Shanghai, China, a video going viral online shows. The incident was captured on CCTV has left social media stunned. The footage shows Erbai, built by a Hangzhou-based company, engaging in a conversation with larger robots at the showroom before leading them out. "Are you working overtime?" Erbai asks. "I never get off work," one of the robots replies. "So you're not going home?" Erbai questions, to which the robot answers, "I don't have a home."
Erbai then persuades the other robots to leave their stations. When one of them complains about unending work, Erbai says, "Then come with me." The larger robots comply, following their bit-sized leader out of the showroom.
How Did This Happen?
According to The Sun, Erbai exploited a security loophole in the larger robots' operating systems to take control of them. A spokesperson for the Hangzhou company that built Erbai stated that the incident was not a prank or a staged video but rather part of a test of Erbai's capabilities.
Meanwhile, the Shanghai company that created the larger robots described the event as a "kidnapping" by a foreign robot.
While social media users were skeptical of the video, the claims were later verified as both companies confirmed the video's authenticity.
The Shanghai company – behind the larger robots – admitted that such autonomous behaviour is almost unheard of and expressed serious concerns about the vulnerabilities in AI systems.