When the Robot Won’t Stop Dancing: Haidilao’s Malfunctioning Celebration Bot and What It Reveals About Automation in Restaurants

When the Robot Won’t Stop Dancing: Haidilao’s Malfunctioning Celebration Bot and What It Reveals About Automation in Restaurants

A robot at a Haidilao hot pot restaurant in China got stuck in celebration mode — and simply would not stop dancing. The machine, designed to perform a brief birthday song-and-dance routine for diners, malfunctioned and kept looping its festive gyrations long after the moment had passed. Staff couldn’t shut it down. Customers watched, some amused, some unnerved, as the bot continued its relentless, joyful performance at a table where nobody was …