St. Petersburg International Economic Forum sees robot failures and drone attack

The 29th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) opened in Russia with about 20,000 participants from more than 100 countries. Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to address the gathering. The four‑day event focuses on new models for global development amid ongoing economic transformations.

During the forum, a Russian robotics demonstration by Nexta showcased the humanoid AI robot Aidol, which repeatedly fell, struggled to stay upright and could not answer a simple "What is your name?" query, leading to an awkward silence. Similar issues were highlighted in a Chinese robot restaurant concept previously shown at the Mobile World Congress, where the robots moved slowly and without clear purpose.

On the eve of the forum, Ukrainian drones struck targets in St. Petersburg, including a refinery near the city, underscoring security tensions surrounding the event.