A hot-button: Recent attempts by tech companies to create increasingly human-like, autonomous robots has invited endless comparisons with the Terminator films. The criticisms are often made in jest but a few recent incidents involving Unitree robots provide some of the strongest proof yet of the dangers of humanoid robots.

A chilling social media video has recently circulated that allegedly shows a Unitree robotic going berserk, almost injuring two workers. The cause of the incident is still unknown, but it may lead to greater public scrutiny on robotics companies.

This undated video shows two employees on a factory floor, near a robot that looks like Unitree’s model H1. After a few moments, the robot starts flailing its hands while walking forward. The workers have to dodge the robot until one of them grabs the harness that restrains it.

A Unitree H1 robot (Full Size Universal Humanoid Robot), which was allegedly berserk and nearly injured two workers after a coding mistake last week in a testing facility in China, is alleged to have been captured on video.

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– OSINTdefender (@sentdefender)

Unitree hasn’t commented on the authenticity or cause of the malfunction. However, a software error may be suspected. If this is the case, the incident could provide a glimpse at the potential dangers associated with robotics programming.

It is not the first instance a Unitree has been filmed malfunctioning near humans. A second video, shot during the Tianjin winter gala festival in February, shows the Unitree H1 suddenly lurching towards a spectator, who had extended their hands. Security intervened and restrained the robot.

Unitree’s $16,000 G1 is marketed as a humanoid assistant that is relatively affordable. The robot’s flexibility and stability are highlighted in promotional videos as it performs different movements and recovers from being shoved.

G1 responds with voice commands, uses 3D Lidar cameras for depth perception and can theoretically acquire new skills by imitation and reinforcement. High-end models have articulated hands to provide a wider range of functionality.

A Unitree H1 robot malfunctioned at the Tianjin Winter Festival Gala in China and unexpectedly lunged towards a spectator who was extending their hand to shake hands. Our tech elite is racing towards machines we can’t even control, built by regimes that we don’t even trust. pic.twitter.com/nsWOLWv4uK

– Jane Adams (@iLoveJaneAdams) May 4, 2025

In another recent incident, the G1 was filmed falling over at the starting line of a half-marathon. The company stated later that its human assistant deployed the robot without Unitree’s operating algorithms.

While the G1 was designed for home assistance and multiple companies are testing similar robotics in warehouses, Apptronik is collaborating with Jabil to test their ability to assemble robots and circuit boards. GXO Logistics, Agility Robotics and Amazon have all expanded testing Digit, the model that was first deployed in Amazon’s warehouses in 2023.

The tests could raise concerns about the future of human employment, not killer robots.