When it comes to the dangers of artificial intelligence, most people’s minds go to extreme scenarios: military use, autonomous weapons systems, and potential disasters without human control. Discussions like those reported around Anthropic and the Pentagon reinforce this concern, creating a picture of a distant but potentially disastrous future. However, while the public debate focuses on these “big” scenarios, smaller but more immediate incidents are starting to highlight practical problems of robots in everyday life. And as it turns out, the danger is not only in military laboratories, but also… in a restaurant.
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The incident with the robot in the restaurant
An incident at a Haidilao restaurant in Cupertino, California, shows how fragile the balance between innovation and safety can be. In a video circulating on social media, a robot performing a dance move got too close to a customer's table, knocking over plates and cutlery , causing a commotion.
The restaurant staff had to intervene immediately, with several employees trying to restrain the robot as it moved uncontrollably. In a hot pot restaurant, where customers are near bowls of hot broth, such an incident could have far more serious consequences than a few broken plates.
Technical issues or human error?
According to the company, the incident was not due to a complete malfunction of the robot, but to improper operating conditions. As Haidilao said, the robot approached the table at the request of a customer, which is not expected in its typical usage scenario. The limited space seems to have affected its movement, leading to the accident.
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The robot in the video is believed to be the AgiBot X2, a humanoid model recently shown at CES. While such platforms typically feature safety mechanisms, such as an emergency stop or “kill switch,” it is unclear whether the personnel were adequately trained to use them in real-world pressure situations.
The rise of robots in catering
The incident comes at a time when automation in the restaurant industry is rapidly increasing. Haidilao herself has already tested “smart restaurants” in China, where robots take on roles such as serving or preparing food.
At the same time, startups are investing in fully automated kitchens, attempting to reduce costs and increase efficiency. In this context, solutions such as BellaBot , which operates without humanoid limbs and with more limited movements, are currently considered safer.
Design choice plays a decisive role: the more a robot mimics a human, the greater the complexity — and with it the likelihood of failure.
The real dilemma of technology
The incident in Coupertino may seem insignificant compared to the artificial intelligence scenarios that threaten humanity, but it reveals a more immediate reality: the integration of robot into daily life is not yet mature.
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Safety , staff training and proper usage remain critical factors. It’s not enough for a technology to look impressive — it has to perform reliably in real, unpredictable conditions.
A future closer ’ than we think
As robots move from laboratories to workplaces and entertainment, incidents like these serve as a reminder that the transition is not without risk. The question is not whether we will see more robots in our daily lives, but how prepared we are to manage them safely.
Perhaps ultimately the real dilemma is not «people or machines», but how we will coexist with them without innovation turning into an unpredictable risk factor.
