Figure AI staged a final for its F.02 robots that could hardly be mistaken for anything else: the humanoids were sent into a 75-tonne furnace filled with molten steel, and one of them gave a thumbs-up before being submerged — an almost literal reference to the finale of *Terminator 2*. The idea was suggested by Arnold Schwarzenegger, who later joined the filming. Figure emphasises that this is not CGI — the robots were actually trained to jump into the furnace on their own.
- Figure AI disposed of most of the F.02 robots in a furnace containing molten steel.
- The idea for this kind of farewell was put forward by Arnold Schwarzenegger.
- The robots were specially trained to jump into the furnace autonomously.
- Simulations and the movements of professional stunt performers were used in the training.
This really happened; it wasn’t generated by AI
Figure itself specifically emphasised this point in its statement: the images were not created using generative graphics. The company did indeed send the robots to a foundry in Imatra, Finland, where they were remelted in an electric arc furnace.
The reason was entirely practical. The park F.02 They are gradually being phased out following the company’s transition to the new F.03 generation. However, the older robots incorporate their own drives, mechanical components and other engineering solutions, which Figure did not wish to leave as readily available equipment.
Dismantling each humanoid by hand proved to be too time-consuming. According to the company, this would have distracted the engineers and could have delayed work on the next generation of the F.04. So Figure asked the internet what to do with the old machines. The answer came from someone who had almost the perfect background for such a task — Arnold Schwarzenegger. He suggested melting them down.
The robots were first taught how to fall properly
The most interesting part of the story began even before we arrived at the factory. Large air cushions had been set up at the Figure campus in San José, and the robots were being taught to jump from the second floor of the building.
The developers used the movements of professional stunt performers as a reference, and then trained a separate AI model in a simulation. Its task was to ensure that the humanoid could accurately calculate a jump into a vat of molten steel — at a facility where the team had never worked before.
In this demonstration, Figure did not simply use a crane to dispose of the old equipment. The company used the disposal process itself as a test of the robots’ autonomy.
At the company, the team had only 24 hours and six swims. After each melt, there were approximately 20 minutes left before the surface of the metal began to form a hard crust. Despite the high temperatures and strong electromagnetic fields, the robots carried out their programmed movements without fail, even when some of the cameras and other nearby electronic components had already failed.
And then *The Terminator* came along«
In the video, Figure made an obvious reference to the iconic scene from *Terminator 2*. One of the F.02s hovered above a red-hot furnace, gave a thumbs-up and began to descend towards the metal. Schwarzenegger also appeared in the clip and concluded his farewell with the phrase «Hasta la vista, F.02».
It was precisely this moment that led to the technical disposal viral. At the same time, behind this spectacular scene lies a very real stage in Figure’s development. The F.02 was the company’s first generation of robots to be deployed on the BMW production line, carrying out logistical tasks and serving as the platform on which Figure developed its Helix system. According to the company, the F.02 robots clocked up over 1,250 hours at the BMW plant and were involved in the production of more than 30,000 X3 cars.
Even after being remelted, the works did not disappear completely
Most of the F.02 fleet has already been scrapped. Figure kept a few vehicles in its headquarters’ storage facility. However, the company decided not to waste the metal from the furnace either. After remelting, it was cast into ingots and shipped back to the US. Figure is now using this metal to produce a limited edition of commemorative items dedicated to the F.02.
As a result, the farewell to the old model turned into an engineering experiment, a promotional video and an almost literal re-enactment of one of the most famous scenes in the history of science fiction cinema.
