BAD BOT: Chess robot goes rogue, pinches and breaks finger of 7-year-old opponent during tournament
Robotic technology took a destructive turn after a chess-playing robot broke a seven-year-old boy's finger during a match at the Moscow Open on Tuesday, July 19. A video of the incident has surfaced on social media where a robot is seen pinching and grabbing the boy’s finger until a woman and three men rush to free him.
The seven-year-old didn't wait for the robot to complete his move, which reportedly led to confusion. “There are certain safety rules and the child, apparently, violated them. When he made his move, he did not realise he first had to wait,” said Sergey Smagin, the Vice President of the Russian Chess Federation, to The TASS, reported The Guardian. “This is an extremely rare case, the first I can recall,” he added. Check out the video, here.
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The boy, who had a fracture from the incident, is one of the best 30 chess players in Moscow in the under-nines category. Sergey Lazarev, the president of the Russian chess federation, said the boy played the very next day in the tournament and did not seem overly traumatized because of the incident. “The child played the very next day, finished the tournament, and volunteers helped to record the moves,” he said.
The boy’s parents have reportedly explored their legal options after contacting the public prosecutor’s office. Russian grandmaster and former World Championship challenger to Magnus Carlsen, Sergey Karjakin said the incident happened due to “some kind of software error or something” and “has never happened before.”
'It's a child-bone breaker'
On social media, many users also expressed their thoughts on the unfortunate incident, while many saw humor in it. One said, "Chess robots have zero chill, apparently" while another user exclaimed, "Ah, but that isn't a chess playing robot at all! It's a child-bone breaker that just happens to be very good at chess."
Chess Robots have zero chill, apparently.https://t.co/t9LjWx9aMY
— James Em (@jamesmasente) July 25, 2022
Ah, but that isn't a chess playing robot at all! It's a child-bone breaker that just happens to be very good at chess.
— Edwin (@EdwinDavies12) July 25, 2022
Unfortunate incidents involving robots
According to a 2015 study, at least one person killed each year in the US alone due to occupational hazards involving industrial robots. In 1979, Robert Williams was crushed to death by the arm of a one-tonne robot at Ford’s Michigan plant. A similar incident unfolded at one of Volkswagen’s German plants when a robot killed a 22-year-old contractor by crushing him against a metal plate.
Robots used in medical procedures or surgeries have also been held responsible for the deaths of around 144 people between 2008 and 2013. However, in most cases, lack of human understanding or error is the most common cause. In 2018, an Uber self-driving car hit and killed 49-year-old Elaine Herzberg in Tempe, Arizona while she was trying to cross the road.
It is best if one remains careful about robots, even if it is just one that plays chess!
Disclaimer: This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.
