Viral video of harvesting robot is computer generated

Context

A video is circulating on social media showing a computer-generated robot harvesting rice, which some social media users are using as evidence robots are being introduced to replace human workers. 

One user posted the video with the caption, "Soon the 'Elites' will no longer require Humans to sustain them. What will the WEF & Satanic Globalists do with all the 'Useless Eaters'?"

However, there are multiple indicators to show the robot has been created using CGI (computer-generated imagery).

In fact

Throughout the footage, you can see that the robot does not grab the harvested rice, and its feet float over the soil without leaving any marks. Also, the right leg of a human is visible next to the CGI image, suggesting that the CGI-edited image was superimposed over a video of a human harvesting rice.

Several clues indicate that the video contains CGI. (Source: X (Formerly Twitter)/Screenshot/Annotated by Logically Facts)

We were unable to find the original unedited footage used in the video, but we were able to find earlier uploads of the footage on an Instagram page titled "Gadgetground," which has posted similar CGI footage of robots performing tasks such as feeding farm animals and plastering a wall.

Logically Facts found that the robot used in the video was created with Wonder Studio, an AI-powered visual effects software created by Wonder Dynamics, which allows users to easily create CGI imagery. The viral video uses the "Charlie" model available within the software.

Comparison of the robot model in the viral footage (left), another similar video posted by the same user (center), and the Charlie robot model in Wonder Studio. (Source: X/Instagram/Wonder Dynamics/Screenshots)

The claims also tie into an overarching narrative about the World Economic Forum and global elites not needing humans alongside allegations of elites wanting to depopulate the earth, previously covered by Logically Facts. 

Are robots used in harvesting crops? 

Similar to other industries, robots are developed and deployed for use within agriculture. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs or drones) can locate rot or pesticides and map out farmable areas, while robots can be used for harvesting crops.

In 2023, CBS reported on strawberry-picking robots used in hydroponic fields in California as an example of how to solve the state’s drought and worker shortage. Similarly, Agrobot has developed a robot that uses 24 arms to pick strawberries. This technological advancement is not without challenges; although it might create jobs, it can also leave some workers unemployed. This is why some U.K. experts have stressed the importance of developing and using robots responsibly to avoid unreliable or hackable models, ensuring safety for workers and the public.

The verdict

There are multiple discrepancies in the video which show a CGI robot has been superimposed onto a video of a rice harvest. Therefore, we have marked this video as fake.