“We Promise This Is Not A Person In A Bodysuit” 

Boston Dynamics unveiled Wednesday a new humanoid robot that creepily moves like no other robot has moved before. 

The new fully electric Atlas robot represents a path to commercialization and a new generation of robots that will leave folks asking if this is the beginning of the ‘Skynet’ (Terminator) robot. 

“This week we announced the retirement of our hydraulic Atlas and unveiled what comes next—a fully electric Atlas robot designed for real-world applications,” Boston Dynamics wrote in a press release. 

Boston Dynamics posted a new video on X of the Atlas robot, jokingly saying, “We promise this is not a person in a bodysuit.” 

We promise this is not a person in a bodysuit. https://t.co/S9FgfpqvrW pic.twitter.com/G30sXHQ93C

— Boston Dynamics (@BostonDynamics) April 17, 2024

Musk tweeted an image from the horror movie “The Ring,” referring to the iconic scene in which the character Samara emerges from the television in a scary crab-like fashion, at Boston Dynamics. 

😳 pic.twitter.com/j36Bg3Y0UI

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 17, 2024

Some X users compared Atlas to the “Terminator” robot. 

You guys need to rewatch terminator

— Aaditya Raman (@aadityaraman) April 17, 2024

Others said humanity is “doomed.” 

We’re doomed. pic.twitter.com/VKSCHnEBod

— Abdul Raouf (@AbdulSbeei) April 17, 2024

Maybe the White House needs one of these robots…

White House display brand new humanoid robot 🤖 pic.twitter.com/m6NQCXmyU2

— Patrick Lac (@PatrickLac007) April 17, 2024

Demand for humanoids in factories will likely erupt by the mid-2030s. After that, the commercialization of these robots should drive down prices. This could unlock the potential for these robots infused with AI to work in the service industry or be adopted by households. This is all terrible news for low-skilled, low-wage workers (read: “AI Will Lead To 300 Million Layoffs In The US And Europe”). Before all of this, these robots will be adopted by militaries.