Silicon Valley test pits human against robot

A human worker has narrowly beaten a humanoid robot in a closely watched parcel-sorting contest in Silicon Valley, underscoring how quickly automation is approaching human-level performance in logistics work.

Figure AI, a U.S. humanoid robotics company, livestreamed the 10-hour head-to-head on YouTube on Sunday (local time), matching its Figure 03 robot against a human intern in a parcel-sorting task.

By the end of the marathon session, the human had sorted 12,924 packages, compared with 12,734 handled by the robot, a difference of just 190 items. The lead swung back and forth throughout the day, with the human setting an early pace before slowing as fatigue set in.

As the hours passed, the human participant took brief breaks for water, restroom visits and a meal, gradually eroding what had been a more comfortable early advantage. Viewers watching the livestream reacted in real time, with comments such as, “If there had been more time, the robot might have won,” and “It’s surprising the robot lost given it never eats or rests.”

Figure AI has been livestreaming its humanoid robots performing parcel-sorting work as part of an ongoing demonstration series. The company initially planned an eight-hour showcase but extended the broadcast as interest surged, saying it would continue “until the robot breaks down.” By May 17, the livestream had evolved into a full human-versus-machine contest.

As of 4 p.m. on May 18, the Figure 03 units had been operating continuously for about 110 hours, processing more than 130,000 parcels in total. When one robot leaves its station to recharge, another steps in to ensure uninterrupted operations. In a post on its official X account, Figure AI said its robots are networked and operate 24 hours a day, adding that the system runs fully autonomously.


최지원 기자 jwchoi@donga.com