Russia's first AI-powered robot walked on stage (fortune.com)

At a Moscow tech showcase, Russia’s domestically built humanoid AIdol (Artificial Intelligence Doll) stumbled and fell during its public debut after waving and taking a few steps onstage. Idol CEO Vladimir Vitukhin attributed the fall to calibration problems—saying the robot’s stereo cameras were overly sensitive to lighting—calling the mishap “real-time learning.” AIdol is advertised to perform walking, object manipulation and human communication, run up to six hours autonomously, and display 12 basic emotions plus “hundreds” of microexpressions via flexible silicone skin. All systems reportedly operate offline; 77% of components are Russian-made with a target of 93% for mass production, though the company hasn’t disclosed the underlying AI stack or a production timeline. The event is notable beyond the pratfall: it spotlights practical engineering gaps caused by sanctions, component shortages and talent losses that have hindered Russia’s robotics sector, and underscores how far it lags behind leaders like Boston Dynamics and several Chinese firms. AIdol’s offline design and emphasis on domestically sourced parts illustrate a “sovereign AI” push championed by the Kremlin, but the demo highlights that calibration, perception robustness under real-world conditions, and integrated learning pipelines remain substantial hurdles before such humanoids can match international competitors in agility, perception and deployment.