Figure AI conducted a live 10-hour experiment where robots competed against a human in sorting parcels.
We got bored. Time for Man vs. Machine https://t.co/HIqPGygWnF
— Brett Adcock (@adcock_brett) May 17, 2026
The task involved identifying a barcode and placing the parcel on the conveyor belt with the barcode facing down.
The robots worked in shifts: after about an hour, one bot replaced another, and over three hours later, the shift changed again. The human, by law, was entitled to breaks and lunch, while the robots worked non-stop.
During the broadcast, Polymarket accepted bets on the winner. Many were confident in the androids’ victory, although the task remains challenging for them, requiring quick reactions and fine motor skills.
The expectation was simple: the human would tire and slow down. This did happen, yet he still won—12,924 parcels against the robots’ 12,732.
The average speed of both differed by only 0.04 seconds—2.79 per parcel versus 2.83.
“This is the last time a human will ever win,” declared Figure AI CEO Brett Adcock.
Congrats to Aime!! He said his left forearm is basically broken 😂
Final scores:
→ F.03: 12,732 packages (2.83 seconds/package)
→ Aime: 12,924 packages (2.79 seconds/package)This is the last time a human will ever win pic.twitter.com/CalDzPZz4d
— Brett Adcock (@adcock_brett) May 18, 2026
At the end of the 10-hour shift, the human received a beer, calloused hands, and a sore left forearm. The robots continued sorting—the broadcast is still ongoing.
Back in February 2025, the startup Figure introduced its proprietary artificial intelligence, Helix, for integration with robots.