There are constantly jokes about the day the robot uprising will take place and they’ll annihilate the human race. How many movies did kids watch in the ’90s and ’00s that showed us what could happen if robots got too powerful? I mean, I’ve seen Terminator and iRobot, and they sufficiently made me wary of robots. But now, a new video clip only reaffirms that we should be careful around any robot that is not fully controlled by humans. A young child got slapped by a dancing robot recently. The robot didn’t mean to do it as far as we can tell, but what if it did?
It’s a pretty cool demo despite the mishap.
🇨🇳 Humanoid robot casually punching a kid… yeah, we’re still far from everyday uncontrolled usage. pic.twitter.com/f2sfymaqRJ
— Lord Bebo (@MyLordBebo) March 23, 2026
The dancing robot demonstration took place on March 21, 2026, in Shaanxi province, China, the New York Post reported, citing Jam Press. In the video clip, the robot is seen doing a variety of ballet-type dance moves, including a pirouette, as it raises its arms over its head. The onlookers are separated by a barricade, but it doesn’t look very sturdy.
As it dances, the robot gets a little too close to the crowd and ends up slapping a small child right in the face with a sweeping hand gesture.
The people around the child mostly kept their eyes on the spectacle in front of them, and the robot handlers moved it back toward the center of the crowd. Not missing a step, the robot keeps dancing until it’s finished with the routine.
Naturally, people are talking about this on social media.
Robot uprising also start small, maybe a slap here, a kick there. All to desensitize humans.
— The Great Translation Movement 大翻译运动 (@TGTM_Official) March 22, 2026
pic.twitter.com/qpa8yfkIcF
The video has been shared on X, and users can’t help but point out the obvious.
“Humanoid robot casually punching a kid… yeah, we’re still far from everyday uncontrolled usage,” wrote the person who shared the video.
“How can I get a job as the robot stick handler guy?” someone else asked.
“😂Just casually slaps the poor kid and dances away to add insult to injury,” another user commented.
“LOL, i never thought I will live to see a robot punching kids while dancing!! :D”
“I’m sure that kid said something snide about that performing robot 🤣😂,” another person quipped.
“This doesn’t bode well. The first law of robotics already failed,” another person wrote.
Clearly the dancing robot has some kinks to work out.
According to The Post, it’s likely that the robot is the G1 humanoid by Unitree Robotics, a Chinese tech firm. The 77-pound robot currently retails for about $13,500. It has advanced sensors and 23 degrees of freedom in its joints, which allows it to dance, navigate obstacles, and even move things with its hands.
“Robot uprising also start small, maybe a slap here, a kick there. All to desensitize humans,” another X user wrote. “He broke the first rule of robot 😂”
