AI 로봇, 용광로 속으로 ‘집단 자살’…‘터미네이터’ 장면 현실로

The movie Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) concludes with a dramatic scene. Its protagonist, T-800 (Arnold Schwarzenegger), climbs down into the molten slag of a furnace, sealing his fate by erasing all traces of his existence. This iconic moment from the film is strikingly mirrored in a recent real-life event. Figure, an American humanoid robot development company, demonstrated its method of disposing of robots by having them plummet into the furnaces of their factories, similar to the Terminator's grim scenario.

This deactivation process was necessary for Figure due to the company's decision to discontinue its older model (F.02) in favor of its new models (F.03, F.04) as part of the robot generation cycle. However, traditional methods of disposing of older robots were time-consuming and risky, as crucial robot and proprietary technology information could be exposed during the process.

The oldest model, standing at 170cm, was once employed in a BMW factory in Spartanburg, South Carolina, to insert heat-resistant parts into the welding process.

Figure sought input from the public on their preferred method for dismantling robots and received an unexpected proposal from Arnold Schwarzenegger himself: the robots should melt into a furnace like in the movie. However, the challenge lay in finding an appropriate furnace, as U.S. and Mexican foundries rejected the idea due to the risk of lithium-ion battery explosions. Only a foundry in Imatra, Finland, agreed to the innovative approach.

Before sending the robots to the foundry, Figure trained them using stunt performers' actions and a training model designed in the company's U.S. headquarters. The robots had only six melting cycles, each lasting 20 minutes, to master the technique of jumping into the molten metal. Despite the unfamiliar environment, the robots successfully executed the exercise, leaping into the furnace from the second floor onto an airbag on the first floor.

Figure then collected the molten metal, which they now transform into a limited-edition commemorative item. They emphasized that the video is not a computer-generated image or AI creation, but a real-life recording of the robots plunging into the furnace. The response to the video was mixed, with some finding it an impressive marketing tactic or an intriguing visual, while others found it unsettling.