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Ars Technica May 20, 2026 at 11:00 Big Tech Rising Hot

The Internet can't stop watching Figure AI's humanoid robots handling packages

Figure AI's 24/7 livestream showcases human soft spot for humanoid robots.

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By Jeremy Hsu Original source
The Internet can't stop watching Figure AI's humanoid robots handling packages

The robotics startup Figure AI has been livestreaming humanoid robots placing thousands of packages onto a conveyor belt for nearly a week—a spectacle that included a robot competing against a human intern at one point. The promotional robot demo has become a viral sensation among tech enthusiasts, spurring YouTube commenters to name the robots and the company to rapidly roll out related robot merchandise in response. Users on X have described the livestream in glowing terms, such as “the greatest product demo since Steve Jobs’ ‘one more thing.’” But despite such sentiments, it’s worth bearing in mind that even the most impressive robot demos represent narrow windows for understanding real-world robot capabilities. Figure’s event began on May 13 as a planned eight-hour robot demonstration featuring the company’s latest Figure 03 robots. The chosen robotic task involved inspecting the bar codes on various small packages—including cardboard boxes and soft padded envelopes or bags—and then placing the packages on a conveyor belt with the bar codes facing downward. The demo would feature the robots performing the task autonomously without any human intervention, according to Figure CEO Brett Adcock. Read full article Comments

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The Internet can't stop watching Figure AI's humanoid robots handling packages

Figure AI's 24/7 livestream showcases human soft spot for humanoid robots.

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TechCrunch May 20, 2026 at 19:47 Startups
Rising Hot

IrisGo, a startup backed by Andrew Ng, looks to become the AI desktop buddy you never knew you needed

Initially billed as an "AI butler," Iris watches what happens on a user's desktop and automatically learns how to do tasks for them, its co-founder says.

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