Figure AI is an Nvidia-backed humanoid-robot startup that wants to fill our lives with C-3POs—helper robots vaguely human-shaped. Allegedly, they will be able to assist people in various ways.
It all sounds ominous on the surface, and it only becomes more so after reading about the absolutely wild whistleblower lawsuit the company is currently facing, which alleges its robots are dangerous to humans.
Videos by VICE
As reported by CNBC, former head of product safety Robert Gruendel said the startup fired him for sounding the alarm that its next-gen bots are so physically strong they can fracture a human skull. Allegedly, the robots move “at superhuman speed” and with a force that generates “twenty times higher than the threshold of pain.”
I’m getting flashbacks to the animated Matrix short “The Second Renaissance.”
Whistleblower Claims AI Robots Are So Strong They Could Turn Your Skull to Dust
Gruendel says he walked into the company expecting Silicon Valley optimism, but instead found a lot of recklessness and no safety procedures being followed at all. The epitome of Silicon Valley’s “move fast and break things” philosophy, just in this case, the things that will break are human skulls as they’re crushed in a robot hand.
Gruendel’s whistleblower lawsuit alleges that leadership initially welcomed his concerns. He took steps toward creating a safer environment by creating safety roadmaps and detailing industry norms to upper management.
He even warned CEO Brett Adcock and chief engineer Kyle Edelberg that the robots were capable of punching holes in refrigerators, which is allegedly not an exaggeration. Gruendel claims one of the robots malfunctioned and carved a quarter-inch gash in a stainless steel door.
Gruendel thinks these things should not be roaming around freely, especially not around fleshy human beings, who will probably be pulverized if one of the robots malfunctions around the person.
Gruendel claims that leadership viewed his concerns as “obstacles, not obligations.” He was later terminated due to a vague “change in business direction,” with Figure AI claiming he was terminated for poor performance.
He is now demanding a jury trial and seeking economic, compensatory, and punitive damages.
All of this comes as several tech companies are in a mad dash to be the first to offer a commercially available humanoid robot to consumers and businesses. Companies like Tesla, Boston Dynamics, and China’s Unitree Robotics are positioning themselves to become the name synonymous with humanoid robots.
Even if they might punch a hole clean through your chest when you try to give it a fist bump.
