Chief of robot UFC asks Grok to define legal terms after droid batters influencer
Black Mirror is writing itself at this point.
Man and humanoid robot fighting cease and desist by Cybernews/Shutterstock (Anton Vierietin)
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- California warned REK’s CEO to stop promoting or hosting human-versus-humanoid robot combat events.
- The warning followed a viral clip of Frankie LaPenna fighting a 6-foot humanoid robot.
- REK’s clip drew roughly 1.5 million views on X after the robot kicked LaPenna multiple times during the fight.
- The commission says unlicensed human combat events can lead to misdemeanor charges under California law.
Key Takeaways by nexos.ai, reviewed by Cybernews staff.
The California Athletic Commission has formally warned the leader of a dystopian fight club about hosting or promoting future events that show humans and humanoid robots fighting.
The CEO of REK, the company behind robot cage fights, has been ordered by California to cease all activity related to human-vs-humanoid robot combat.
Cix Liv posted the cease and desist to X, saying, “We made it, boys.”
The letter strictly prohibits Cix Liv, who legally adopted his online persona after his identity was stolen, from promoting, advertising, hosting, or engaging in “boxing or martial arts contest, match, or exhibition involving any human without a license.”
The cease-and-desist was signed by Andy Foster, a former mixed martial artist and the current executive officer of the California State Athletic Commission.
California’s Business and Professions Code sections 18870 and 18878 deem any person or promoter who requires a license from the commission to hold such an event after receiving this warning.
Otherwise, they face misdemeanor charges.
This warning was sent following a viral clip of content creator Frankie LaPenna going face-to-face with a 6-foot humanoid robot.
On REK’s X account, the clip has been seen roughly 1.5 million times.
During the fight, the robot struck LaPenna with a high kick to the side of the face and then kicked him square in the stomach, sending the influencer flying.
“We just made history with the first human vs Terminator robot fight,” the robot fight organization said as it celebrated the illegal cage fight online.
Cix tries to outsmart the California commission using Grok
After Cix posted the letter to his X account, he became curious about what the codes 18870 and 18878 actually mean.
So, he went to a “reliable” source for information: X’s inbuilt chatbot, Grok.
The robot cage-fighting CEO asked Grok to explain what the codes mean and “how a robot vs human fight would not qualify as a match by their own definition.”
“Business and Professions Code § 18625 defines ‘contest’ and ‘match’ as synonymous terms meaning a fight, prizefight, boxing, kickboxing, or martial arts contest between 2 or more persons where full contact is used or intended that may result in physical harm,” Grok said.
While Grok’s answer is a simplification of the code, Cix Liv refuses to accept defeat, declaring that California is “gonna have to change the law.”
