Google DeepMind partner Qualia founder admits fake humanoid robot video
A partner selected as part of Google DeepMind's Robotics Program in Europe was called out after posting a video that looked like a real humanoid robot doing kitchen chores.
Turns out, the lifelike footage was just a promotional video, not an actual robot, meant to show off their training tech.
Fabian Kerj, founder of Qualia (the company behind the video), later admitted it wasn't real, saying, "We build training [infrastructure] — not hardware," and added, "Got your attention tho," with a grinning emoji.
Video sparks online tech marketing debate
The video quickly sparked debate online about honesty in tech marketing. Tesla's 2021 stunt where an actor pretended to be a robot was compared to it.
Some felt misled by the realistic demo, raising questions about how far companies should go when promoting robotics, and whether cool visuals cross the line if they are not showing real products yet.