A humanoid AI robot helping to spread the excitement at a local Haidilao hot pot restaurant in Cupertino, California. It began to dance aggressively towards the customers, culminating in a wild robotic mechanical mishap. This event unfolded recently, drawing attention not only for the robot’s unintentional antics but for the response of the restaurant staff who had to intervene.
Haidilao, a top Chinese hot pot chain known for its often bizarre customer experience, has indeed confirmed the incident. They sent a shockingly ambiguous statement to NBC News about it. The company was quick to clarify that the robot had not gone haywire or out of control during the incident. On the recommendation of one guest, staff folded it up and tucked it a bit closer to the dining table. This was a huge break from the normal operating procedure.
The AgiBot X2, a humanoid robot created for entertainment purposes, was in full swing. In a moment of exuberance, it inadvertently swiped stuff off a table next to our booth. Witnesses said the robot started at first breaking plates and throwing dishware and chopsticks all over the restaurant. Members of the staff were able to rush in to physically restrain the robot and take back control of the class.
One employee spent the entire incident glued to her cellphone. Perhaps she was just messing with the app that runs the robot. It’s unclear whether the robot in question was designed with a kill switch. Now reports are coming out that the staff may not have been properly trained to use it in such an extreme emergency.
Haidilao has been leading the charge in using technology to elevate dining experiences. The restaurant chain has begun testing out a “smart restaurant” format in Beijing. They used robotic servers and broth mixing machines to enhance the customer experience. In fact, the AgiBot X2 was even featured at the prestigious CES conference earlier this year, showcasing its innovative capabilities to entertain.
In the midst of this chaos, videos showing what happened started showing up all over social media. Specifically, user Meooow released an impressive three-minute clip on Xiaohongshu, China’s fast growing social network. What resulted was a perfect storm of the robot’s unpredictable antics with the failure of the staff to control or contain it.
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