Fact Check: Clip of Fighting AI Robot Is Computer Generated, Not Real

A viral TikTok is fooling social media users.

By Cameron Hilditch

May 1, 2023

A viral TikTok clip purporting to show a robot performing a backflip and various punching combinations has been digitally generated and is not real.

https://www.tiktok.com/@boston_dynamics/video/7227443170332724523?embed_source=71169334%2C121331973%2C120811592%2C120810756%3Bnull%3Bembed_masking&refer=embed&referer_url=www.dailydot.com%2Fdebug%2Ffake-boston-dynamics-robot-fighting-debunk%2F&referer_video_id=7227443170332724523

The robot rendered in the clip is the Atlas robot, a product of the robotics firm Boston Dynamics. The TikTok account that posted the clip is an imposter account posing as an official social media outlet of Boston Dynamics. While its username is “boston_dynamics,” its handle is a misspelling of the company’s name, “Botsom_Dynamics,” a popular tactic with imposter accounts. Boston Dynamics does not have an official, verified TikTok account.

The fake TikTok clip has been taken to be authentic by social media users and has been shared widely as such across other platforms.

The clip in question does not appear on any of Boston Dynamics’ official social media accounts, nor on its YouTube channel.

The Dispatch Fact Check has reached out to Boston Dynamics for comment.

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