The Ultimate Robot Knock-out Legend opener was the first event of its kind, with martial arts actor Donnie Yen among those watching
It turns out it isn’t just office jobs people should be worried about AI taking, some athletes might want to watch their backs too.
In a scene that could have come from the Terminator film franchise, two robots battled it out in an MMA fight in Shenzhen this week, leaving social media users stunned and one of the two combatants without a head.
Dubbed the robot version of the UFC, the Ultimate Robot Knock-out Legend (URKL) opener was the first event of its kind, with two identical T800 robots, the same model as Arnold Schwarzenegger’s character in the original film, trading blows in a specially designed hexagonal cage at the Nanshan Cultural and Sports Centre.
Among those watching on as the two life-sized Engine AI machines went at it was world-renowned martial arts actor Donnie Yen Ji-dan.
The star of the Ip Man films, the 62-year-old called the “sheer power and precision movements” of the robots incredible.
“I only saw robot combat in science fiction movies previously,” Yen said. “Today, seeing real robots fighting and competing up close, witnessing this historic breakthrough first-hand, the impact was completely different.”