Hasta la vista, influencer: ‘Terminator’ robot floors prankster in cage fight

A prankster influencer took on a 1.8m tall, Terminator-esque robot in a cage match, and it ended the way most post-apocalyptic, techno-future movies do: total annihilation for the carbon-based lifeform.In a 42-second clip that currently has nearly 50 million views on Instagram, social media comedian Frankie LaPenna can be seen squaring off with the “Rekbot”, a machine resembling the T-800 from the Terminator franchise.The 29-year-old, who has over 20 million followers online, is better known for comedic pranks and daredevil antics involving over-the-top physical stunts, like riding a motorcycle into an office desk and playing cards near a raging bull.A man can be heard telling LaPenna just seconds before he traded blows with his adversary: “I’m scared for you, man”.The clip shows the comedian landing several punches before the robot sends him backwards with a powerful push kick. Another kick knocks him to the ground, and that seems to be the end of it.The Sept 18 cage match was organised by robotics startup REK to promote its virtual reality game, which pits humans against remote-controlled humanoid robots like the Rekbot.“Last night was a turning point in history, a striking moment to behold. Thank you everyone for coming!” the company posted on X.And while REK claims that the match was “the first Human VS Terminator robot fight”, there had already been previous skirmishes between man and machine.In December, for instance, the CEO of a Chinese robotics company, wearing protective pads, squared off with his own T-800 creation. He was kicked hard in the torso and knocked down.Still, REK’s publicity stunt stirred commentaries online about human folly and the AI-fuelled march towards human extinction, with references to end-of-times movies like The Matrix, Blade Runner and I, Robot.“Didn’t we have, like, 6 movies explaining why this is a bad idea?” one person asked on Instagram.Another wondered: “Why is it we create the most dystopian future in films where everyone says how bad it is and then we go ahead and make it a reality?”“Stop. Teaching. Them. To. Fight,” one commenter wrote, while another gave this blunt assessment: “We are creating what will end us.”Others suggested that REK pit its robots against actual mixed martial arts fighters.REK seems to be keen on taking that dare. It said on X that the Rekbot “wasn’t even the final boss”, and teased “more” to come “soon”.This franchise is apparently already planning sequels.