Human versus machine has moved a step closer to the fight cage. A six-foot-tall humanoid robot faced an influencer in San Francisco in a bout that the US robotics company REK called its first ‘Human VS Terminator robot fight’.Footage shared by REK shows the influencer Frankie LaPenna facing the remotely controlled humanoid robot inside a cage in San Francisco. The event was organised as part of the company’s work on a virtual reality combat game.“We just made history with the first Human VS Terminator robot fight. Frankie LaPenna gave it his all,” REK said in a caption accompanying the footage on X.The video shows the robot moving around the cage and warming up before the fight. Once the bout began, LaPenna threw several punches at the machine, which responded with punches and powerful kicks.At several points, the robot’s kicks appeared to send LaPenna across the cage. The footage also shows him continuing to engage with the machine despite the force of the strikes.REK said the fight was part of its effort to develop a fast-paced virtual reality game where humans control humanoid robots in head-to-head battles. The company also said more footage from the match would be released.In a reply to a comment on X, REK’s official account said LaPenna “kept going” and “defeated this robot.”The footage quickly drew reactions online, with users speculating about whether human-controlled robots could eventually enter professional combat sports.“Robots and humans fighting will be a part of the UFC in the next 5 years. AI hysteria demands it,” one account said.Another user referenced the famous chess match between Garry Kasparov and IBM’s Deep Blue, asking, “Is it too late to go back to Deep Blue beating Kasparov in chess only?”“Terminator got his first practice,” another person commented, while a separate user described the footage as a “dream coming true in real time”.The incident is not the first humanoid-robot video to trigger Terminator comparisons. Earlier, footage from Saratov, Russia, showed a humanoid robot making erratic movements and attempting to kick a man after he appeared to push it at an electronics store. Employees subsequently powered down the robot.
