No, this robot didn't collapse from exhaustion after 'a long day's work'

Lise Kiennemann

9 May 2023 at 7:43 am·1-min read

A video with nearly 5 million views on Twitter shows a robot collapsing to the ground after putting away some boxes. According to those who shared the post, the robot collapsed after a "long day's work" which caused it to deactivate itself from exhaustion. However, the scene actually took place during a four-day demonstration during which the manufacturer hoped to show the product's "99% success rate". The robot fell down several times during the demonstration.

If you only have a minute

Since April 13, some Twitter accounts have been sharing a video that shows a robot collapsing after performing its duties. According to these accounts, the robot collapsed from exhaustion or even "killed itself" due to the difficult work.
The video comes from a tweet from Agility Robots, an American company that produces the machine. The clip was taken in Chicago during a logistics show to demonstrate the robot's "99% success rate" over 20 hours of work.
The company told the FRANCE 24 Observers team that incidents like these are normal for new technologies and warned against "ascribing intent" to robots.

The fact-check, in detail

A robot repeatedly moves boxes from a shelf to a conveyor belt, then collapses while dozens of people look on. The video has been viewed nearly five million times on Twitter since April 13.

Some accounts have shared the video with jokes: "Even robots don’t want this horrible life," wrote this Twitter user.