'Army of robots': China's humanoid bots marching in unison spook the internet in viral video

Imagine an army of robots marching towards you. Seems like a scene from a sci-fi movie right? Well, not anymore, as China's latest invention has turned this humorous scene into an eerie reality.

In a video going viral on the internet, a Chinese firm showed hundreds of humanoid robots marching in unison. Described as the "first mass delivery" of its machines, the video was shared by Shenzhen-based UBTECH Robotics.

The viral video

In the video, industrial robots can be seen standing in neat lines before they begin walking together in precision. Almost cinematic in visuals, the video was aimed at promoting the launch of the company's second-generation model. Shot in a white, sterile warehouse, the video panned around the robots giving a 360-degree view of the machines. First, they began to slide a battery pack out and then back into their backs in a show of their autonomy. Then, the robots squatted together before tapping their feet and eventually marching and loading themselves into the shipping containers. Once loaded, the camera panned out to show numerous trucks, all packed with robots going to their prospective buyers, with the caption "March Forward."

Netizens react to the viral video

The video both amazed and scared social media users with some calling it "AI-generated" and others comparing it to "sci-fi movie from hell"Many opted for humorous captions on the video, writing, "judgement day is here!, prepare for WW3 with chinese terminators""thats even more creepy that original video" added another.Some netizens in the comments feared how these humanoid robots would affect employment, probably replacing their jobs, writing comments such as "Unemployment charts, ready to skyrocket"

Humans and their fear of robots

Humanoid robots are robots that resemble the human physical form and are designed to work alongside humans in their jobs.

The efforts to be able to create successful versions of these have been going on since 1973, when Waseda University in Japan created WABOT-1, the first full-scale humanoid robot. When it comes to humanoid robots, the class and industry gap are vital factors. Tech entrepreneurs and companies associate them with inventing a better and easier future. This seems to be a progressive step for them, considering they already have their future set with huge amounts of disposable income. However, when it comes to the working class and corporate workers, the bots carry with them a fear of job insecurity and helplessness. This is because they depend on their monthly incomes through their jobs, the very opportunities these bots are designed to replace. Thus, while robots might carry an excitement for the tech-savvy future, in the ground reality, they are raising job insecurities and human concerns. This is why videos like the above, always carry with them mixed reactions, some intrigued and others worried.