FIGURE CEO DENIES TELEOPERATION IN ROBOT DEMOS

Figure, a robotics company developing AI-powered humanoid robots, streamed footage of one of its machines sorting packages in real time across YouTube and X. The demonstration reached a massive audience but prompted questions from observers questioning the robot's autonomy. Critics suggested the robot may have been teleoperated—controlled remotely by humans—rather than operating independently through artificial intelligence. CEO Brett Adcock appeared on Bloomberg's "Bloomberg Tech" to counter these claims directly. The company positions its humanoid robots as autonomous AI systems capable of performing warehouse and logistics tasks without teleoperation. The livestream served as a public demonstration of the technology's capabilities, though the skepticism highlights ongoing questions in the robotics industry about distinguishing between truly autonomous systems and those requiring human guidance. Figure's assertion of fully autonomous operation, if verified, would represent a significant milestone in humanoid robotics development.