Figure robots meet their end in molten steel after Schwarzenegger suggestion
AI firm Figure decommissioned its Figure 02 humanoid robots by training them to jump into a vat of molten steel in Finland, following a suggestion from Arnold Schwarzenegger.
When Figure prepared to retire its Figure 02 humanoid robots, which had spent more than 1,200 hours assisting production of BMW X3 SUVs in Spartanburg, South Carolina, CEO Brett Adcock turned to social media for disposal ideas. Actor Arnold Schwarzenegger responded with a single line - “You should melt them” - and expressed interest in the process. After failing to secure a U.S. or Mexican foundry due to the robots’ explosive lithium-ion batteries, Figure identified a willing facility in Imatra, Finland.
The company then moved the robots back to its San Jose campus, where it used stunt-artist motion capture to train an AI model that could guide the robots to perform a two-story jump into a targeted steel bucket. Within 24 hours and six melt windows, the robots successfully entered the molten steel, and the resulting metal bars were shipped to the U.S., with a portion fashioned into limited-edition artifacts. BMW later announced plans to deploy the next-generation Figure 03 units at the same Spartanburg plant.
Why it matters
The stunt shows how companies handle costly, proprietary robotics hardware disposal while generating publicity.
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