Russia’s First AI-Powered Robot Stumbles in First Public Appearance

Russia’s first domestically produced artificial intelligence–powered humanoid robot faceplanted during its debut public demonstration this week, underscoring the challenges the country faces in competing with established leaders in AI and robotics like the U.S. and China, Dave Smith reported for Fortune.

The robot was later brought back onstage and managed to remain upright with assistance from handlers.

The robot, named AIdol, was unveiled during a tech showcase at the Yarovit Hall Congress Center in Moscow.

As it walked onto the stage accompanied by two handlers to “Gonna Fly Now,” the theme from the 1976 film Rocky, the machine waved to the audience before taking a few steps, losing its balance, and toppling over.

Event staff rushed to cover the fallen robot with a black cloth and carried it offstage, cutting the presentation short.

Vladimir Vitukhin, CEO of the Moscow-based startup Idol, attributed the fall to calibration issues potentially caused by the robot’s stereo cameras being overly sensitive to the hall’s lighting conditions.

“This is real-time learning, when a good mistake turns into knowledge, and a bad mistake turns into experience,” Vitukhin told attendees after the incident, according to Newsweek. “I hope that this mistake will turn into an experience.”

The robot was later brought back onstage and managed to remain upright with assistance from handlers. Vitukhin maintained that AIdol sustained no damage from the fall.