A video purportedly showing a humanoid robot working as a waitress in a Chinese restaurant has gone viral on social media, with the claim that China is employing human-like robots powered by AI (Artificial Intelligence) for daily work.
A social media user shared the video with the caption, “China has AI waitress robots… While these look like a failed Westworld beta test, let’s pretend They come to life replacing 80% of the work force… is that: Super cool, or kill on sight? I’m tipping anyway, or just the tip? Terrifying, or great innovation? Pro AI Rights, or AI regulation needed? (sic)”
SouthCheck found that the person in the video is a human.
While searching with the keywords ‘humanoid robot,’ we found a video on X that read, “This viral TikTok video claims to show a restaurant in China with a humanoid waitress! The ‘robot’ is the owner, a professional dancer.”
Taking this as a cue, we searched on Google with the keywords ‘China, waitress, robot’ and found a compilation of videos featuring the ‘robot waitress’ on a YouTube channel.
The caption to the video reads, “In this video, I explore the fascinating story of a robot waitress in China, a 22-year-old Chinese waitress who pretends to be a robot while serving customers at a hotpot restaurant in Chongqing City. She moves in a jerky and robotic way, speaks in a monotone voice, and says things like ‘Hello, I am a robot. I will serve you today.’”
We also found a similar compilation published by the news outlet South China Morning Post. The caption to this video reads, “A street dance lover showcases her ‘robot-dancing’ skills when she serves the customers in her hotpot restaurant in Chongqing city.”
Although most of the video is clips of the Chinese waitress – who is identified as Qin, the owner of the restaurant – pretending to be a robot, one can see her break character and move like a ‘human’ at 0:13 seconds into the video.
Another website, NewsFlare, also confirmed the same. The website said, “Ms Qin, a 26-year-old entrepreneur, who has had a lifelong passion for dance, started her professional dance training at the age of 12. Three years ago, seeking to boost her income, she ventured into the restaurant business, opening this hotpot establishment. With her background in dance, she delved into learning the precise movements of a robot, many of which are rooted in street dance.”
Hence, we conclude that the woman in the viral post is a human and not a humanoid robot.
