Humanoid robot strikes customer in Russian electronics store
A humanoid robot in a Russian electronics store struck and kicked a customer who had pushed it. The incident, captured on video, spread widely on social media, though it remains unclear whether the attack was an autonomous response or remotely controlled, and whether the incident was genuine or staged.
What happened
A customer approached a humanoid robot in a Russian electronics store and attempted to shake its hand. When the robot did not respond, the customer pushed it as a joke.
Seconds later, the robot began striking and kicking toward the customer. Two store employees intervened to restrain the robot while it continued to attack. Three people were required to hold it down enough to power it off.
Reported impact
Store employees had to physically restrain the robot to stop the attack and shut it down.
Index analysis
Reports noted that humanoid robots can be controlled remotely via remote control in certain cases, which means the kicking motions alone do not conclusively prove the robot made an independent decision to retaliate.
The store did not clarify whether the incident was genuine or staged, and the motive for releasing the video publicly was unclear.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.