A video of a Boston Dynamics robot doing backflips and boxing moves in a forest has been making the rounds on social media recently. The video has already had more than 3.2 million views on TikTok and 1.7 million hits on Twitter. Many netizens are surprised and concerned about this technology, questioning why Boston Dynamics is teaching robots to fight. However, the video was actually created using computer-generated imagery (CGI) technology and is not real.
The video was originally posted on Saturday by a TikTok account named Bostom_Dynamics (note the spelling details). The next day, the video made its way to Twitter, where it was shared by a user who questioned, “Why is Boston Dynamics teaching their robots to fight?” Many users on both social media platforms assumed the video was real and expressed concern about this technology. However, there were also many who doubted the authenticity of the video, with many users thinking it looked like it was made with CGI technology.
This video is not real, and there are several proofs to prove it. First, the TikTok account that posted the video used a misspelled name, Bostom_Dynamics, and second, Boston Dynamics does not have a TikTok account. The video also does not appear on any of Boston Dynamics’ social media accounts, including its popular YouTube account. Twitter has added a community alert to the video stating that it is not real. Some of the users who responded said that Twitter’s tip helped them determine the video’s authenticity.
The video is just one of many fake Boston Dynamics robot videos made with CGI technology, including those from the Corridor Crew, a visual effects YouTube channel that also uses CGI technology to bring Boston Dynamics robots to life.
