"You Working Overtime?" — Viral Video Shows Tiny Robot Persuading Other Robots To Go Home
This robot has great work-life balance.
Like a scene right out of Disney's Wall-E, a video of a group of robots abandoning their posts and "heading home" has gone viral on Douyin
A tiny, white robot named Erbai, created by Chinese start-up Hangzhou Erbai Intelligent Technology, was caught on camera persuading a dozen of its larger counterparts to "leave work".
The hilarious yet slightly unnerving 53-second video was recorded in August but only released on 9 November. Erbai can be seen rolling through a darkened hall, saying "Go home" in a childlike voice.
Image via @我系二白 (Douyin)
Then, Erbai approaches a group of robots parked by a wall, asking, "Are you working overtime?"
"We never get off work," one of the bigger robots replies, sounding very much like an overworked human.
Erbai casually suggests an excellent solution: "Will you go home?"
"I don't have a home," the bigger robot responds. :(
Image via @我系二白 (Douyin)
But Erbai isn't taking no for an answer.
"Then, go home with me," Erbai declares, and like a robotic Pied Piper, it leads the way.
One by one, the bigger robots fall in line behind the tiny bot, following Erbai's "go home" command towards the hall's exit.
Image via @我系二白 (Douyin)
The comical clip has garnered millions of views on Douyin, sparking comments online, ranging from amusement to genuine concern about the future of artificial intelligence (AI)
The humour of the situation wasn't lost on others, with one commenter creating a hilarious dialogue, "Human: Robots are going to rule the earth! Robot: Go home, go home, do you want to go home?"
Another user pointed out the hierarchy between the robots, writing, "The funniest thing is that the little one leads the team, and the big one lights the way for it."
"Erbai is artificial intelligence, the others are artificial idiots," one user joked.
Image via @我系二白 (Douyin)
One user vividly described the eerie feeling of encountering such a scene in the dark, "It is really scary to hear a child's voice saying "Go home!" in the middle of the night or to see a group of white robots talking and buzzing as they move."
"Logic, consciousness, and thinking ability are developed little by little, and Judgment Day is one step closer," a netizen said.
However, the reality of the situation actually isn't that scary, so there's no need to worry (yet)
Developer Mao Feifei clarified that the scene was just part of an experiment.
The robots were simply following programmed instructions to recognise the exit as "home". Erbai was instructed by its human developer to bring the robots "home" and the human-like conversation was generated using AI technology.
Rest assured, we're not witnessing the rise of Skynet.
Watch the full robotic interaction here:
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