This is every AI brand’s worst nightmare. You invite a new humanoid to the stage to jointly give a keynote about itself. The robot seemed to cope with the pressure quite well, but suddenly died and collapsed to the ground in a heap of plastic and metal.
That’s exactly what happened at Qualcomm’s Computex 2026 showcase. Immediately after going on stage carrying the AI chip “Dragonwing IQ10” that powers it, the company’s robot made a noise and collapsed. Here are some of the most spectacularly slapstick tech conference footage I’ve enjoyed watching in years.
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I don’t know what I like most about this video. Perhaps it’s the pitiful motion of the robot raising its arms right after it hits the ground, looking like it’s trying to say, “I’m okay!” Perhaps it’s the fact that speakers who are clearly not prepared to improvise continue their presentations as if nothing happened. Perhaps it’s because of the behind-the-scenes team’s hilariously desperate attempt to preserve the robot’s dignity by covering it with what looks like a too-small satin sheet before transporting it offstage (which it naturally drops on the way). The whole thing feels like pure performance art.
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Now, every time someone talks about how powerful AI is becoming, I imagine this poor robot’s untimely death. Thank you, Qualcomm.
