"Laughing Suddenly Turns Chilling"... Chaos Over AI Robot Group Leaving Work Video in China

"Working late?" "Let's go home together"
Conversation like humans... Attempt to escape
Netizens "Creeped out while laughing"

An AI robot leading other robots to escape together has been captured in China, drawing widespread attention.

AI robot 'Eolby' led other robots in an attempt to escape the exhibition hall. Douyin

On the 26th, Hong Kong's South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that in August, an AI robot at an exhibition hall in China led other robots in a group escape. According to the report, this incident was only recently revealed through CCTV footage recorded around midnight. The video shows a white small robot named 'Eolbai,' standing 0.5 meters tall, approaching several robots lined up against the dark walls of the exhibition hall.

AI robot 'Eolby' led other robots in an attempt to escape the exhibition hall. Douyin

They communicated as if having a conversation like humans. First, Eolbai stopped in front of a large robot and asked, "Are you working overtime?" Then, a robot larger than Eolbai replied, "We don't have time to leave work." When Eolbai asked again, "Do you want to go home?" the large robot responded, "I don't have a home." To this, Eolbai said, "Then come home with me," leading the large robot. Moreover, Eolbai told other robots, "Let's go home," and they moved together toward the exhibition hall exit. Later, staff discovered the robots were missing and appeared flustered.

The video went viral on Douyin, China's TikTok, surpassing 30 million views and attracting significant attention. According to the user who posted the video, Eolbai was a product developed by the startup 'Eolbai Intelligent Technology' located in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. The company was conducting experiments with Eolbai and other robots. They explained, "The situation in the video was a pre-programmed experiment, and the robots were set to recognize the corridor exit as 'home.' When given the command 'go home,' they were programmed to head there." This was reportedly to evaluate the robots' ability to interact with and influence each other.

Local netizens who saw the video expressed both fascination and concerns about AI autonomy. Comments included, "I laughed but suddenly broke out in a cold sweat," "The autonomy of AI gave me chills," "It feels like humans will be ruled by robots someday," and "It reminds me of a dystopian future."