Robots Could Shatter Human Skulls’: Dangerous Machines Under Development in the U.S., Full Details Emerge

A major U.S.-based robotics company is developing extremely powerful robots capable of causing serious human injury — even breaking a human skull. A former employee has filed a lawsuit alleging he was fired after raising safety concerns.

Lawsuit Filed by Former Engineer

Robert Grundel, a former Principal Robotic Safety Engineer at Figure AI, has taken legal action against his former employer in a California court. Grundel claims he repeatedly warned senior management that the company’s robots were dangerously powerful.

One incident in September involved a robot malfunctioning and striking a fridge with enough force to leave a deep dent on its steel door. Fortunately, no one was near the fridge at the time, or it could have led to a serious accident.

Fired for Raising Concerns

According to reports by Futurism, Grundel was dismissed just days after voicing his safety concerns. He had repeatedly warned CEO Brett Adcock and Chief Engineer Kyle Adelberg through emails and meetings, but received no satisfactory response. Over time, his meetings were reduced from weekly to once every three months before he was ultimately terminated.

Robots with Human-Shattering Strength

Grundel tested the Figure 02, the company’s latest humanoid robot, and found it capable of striking with 20 times the force of a human, enough to easily break bones. He warned that a single hit could shatter a human skull more than twice over.

The robot has been deployed at a BMW car factory for 11 months, assisting in the production of over 30,000 vehicles.

Company Progress and Investments

Figure AI is a leading humanoid robotics company. In September, it secured significant investments, raising its valuation to $39 billion, with major investors including Nvidia. Industry analysts predict the humanoid robot market could reach $5 trillion globally by 2050.

Company Response

Figure AI has denied all allegations, claiming Grundel was terminated due to poor performance. Grundel’s lawyers, however, argue this case could become the first major legal battle over humanoid robot safety, and hope the court highlights the potential dangers of rushing advanced robotics into the workplace.

This lawsuit raises critical questions about safety, ethics, and accountability in the rapidly growing field of humanoid robotics.