Figure Melts Its Old F.02 AI Robots in an Industrial Furnace

    US-based Figure melted down its old F.02 AI robots by throwing them into an industrial furnace containing 75 tons of molten steel. As the company was increasing the number of its next-generation F.03 robots, it saw no need to keep the previous models. Most of the robots have already been melted down and recycled. This also prevented the technologies inside them from falling into the hands of competitors.    Dismantling the old robots conventionally was both difficult and time-consuming. They could not be given to another company because they contained technologies belonging to Figure. Assigning the task to the company’s own employees would also have diverted the team from the F.04 project under development. CEO Brett Adcock asked on the X platform what would be an appropriate way to say goodbye to the robots. On August 19, 2026, Arnold Schwarzenegger replied, “You should melt them down.”    The company first taught the robots to jump accurately from the 2nd floor of an office building onto an air cushion. The working methods of stunt performers were also studied while preparing this maneuver. The main challenge was finding a facility willing to throw robots with lithium batteries into molten steel. In the end, a plant in Finland allocated 24 hours and 6 melting cycles to the task.    Despite the intense heat, the F.02 robots continued to carry out their commands until the very last moment. The electromagnetic field generated by 3 large graphite electrodes operating at high voltage did not affect their performance either. One of the robots raised its thumb as it sank into the molten metal. The scene recalled the famous ending of the movie “Terminator.”    The metal ingots produced by the melting process were taken to the US. The metal was then processed and turned into a limited number of commemorative items. These items preserve the history of the F.02 model. Only a few examples of the robots are being kept at the company’s headquarters. Recycling the remaining models made room for new robots and protected confidential technologies.