Staff restrain dancing humanoid robot after a malfunction at a California restaurant

When discussions turn to the risks posed by emerging technologies, the focus often falls on large-scale concerns such as the military use of artificial intelligence, including recent negotiations between Anthropic and the Pentagon. These scenarios raise questions about how far automation could go, even to the point of operating weapons systems without human oversight.

However, while attention is often placed on long-term possibilities, more immediate and unexpected issues are already appearing in everyday settings — including restaurants.

At a Haidilao hot pot restaurant in Cupertino, California, a humanoid entertainment robot disrupted a performance. According to a video shared on the Chinese social platform Xiaohongshu by a user named Meooow, the robot began dancing too close to a dining table, eventually colliding with dishes and sending plates, chopsticks, and other items scattering across the table.

The situation escalated quickly, and at least three staff members were seen attempting to restrain the robot as it continued moving its arms erratically. In the footage, one employee appears to check her phone, possibly to access a control system or application that manages the robot’s behaviour. While the robot — believed to be an AgiBot X2 model showcased earlier this year at the CES conference — may include safety features such as a shutdown function, it was not immediately clear whether staff could activate it or knew how.

The environment added to the potential risk. Hot pot dining involves boiling liquids and extremely hot cookware, meaning that any unexpected movement could have resulted in more serious consequences than broken dishes. If the robot had knocked over hot broth, it could have caused burns in addition to the physical disruption already seen.

Haidilao later addressed the incident in a statement to NBC News, confirming that the event occurred but rejecting claims that the robot had malfunctioned or gone out of control.

“In this case, the robot was brought closer to a dining table at a guest’s request, which is not its typical operating setting,” the company stated. “The limited space affected its movement during the performance.”

The restaurant chain has previously experimented with automation, including a “smart restaurant” concept in Beijing featuring robotic servers and automated broth-preparation systems. In this particular case, the robot was reportedly being used solely for entertainment, rather than as part of the service operation.

The incident highlights both the potential and the challenges of integrating robotics into hospitality environments. While many companies are exploring automation in food service — including startups like Shin Starr, which aims to develop fully autonomous kitchens — safety and reliability remain key concerns.

Other robotic solutions, such as Pudu Robotics’ BellaBot, take a different approach. Designed with a simpler, non-humanoid structure, BellaBot is used to guide customers and deliver food without articulated limbs, potentially reducing the risk of similar incidents. As robotics continues to enter public-facing spaces, the balance between innovation, usability, and safety will remain an ongoing consideration.