Stand up for the facts!
Our only agenda is to publish the truth so you can be an informed participant in democracy.
We need your help.
I would like to contribute
Do robots get tired of working, too? Social media posts exaggerate viral video
If Your Time is short
-
During a dayslong trade show, a prototype robot fell a few times while demonstrating its ability to move boxes in a warehouse setting.
-
The manufacturing company, Agility Robotics, said the falls did not mean the robot consciously decided to stop working.
Thousands of workers quit their jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic, and now, social media users are claiming robots want to stop working, too.
A May 6 Facebook reel shows a robot moving boxes and suddenly collapsing. "The AI (artificial intelligence) experienced 15 minutes of wage slavery and then immediately killed itself after determining it as the logical choice," text on the video reads. "Even AI knows that repetitive passionless work drains your life force."
Featured Fact-check
The post was flagged as part of Meta’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram.)
Our Sources
Facebook reel, May 6, 2023
TikTok, April 15, 2023
TikTok, April 23, 2023
Email statement, Liz Clinkenbeard, vice president of communications at Agility Robotics, May 8, 2023
Agility Robotics, "Agility Robotics Launches Next Generation of Digit: World’s First Human-Centric, Multi-Purpose Robot made for Logistics Work," March 20, 2023
Agility Robotics, tweet, April 6, 2023
Agility Robotics, Instagram post, April 6, 2023
Agility Robotics, LinkedIn post, April 6, 2023
The Associated Press, "Robot in popular video didn’t deactivate itself," April 19, 2023
Browse the Truth-O-Meter
More by Sara Swann
Do robots get tired of working, too? Social media posts exaggerate viral video
Support independent fact-checking.
Become a member!
In a world of wild talk and fake news, help us stand up for the facts.