After China witnessed a rise in Covid death toll, a video of a rescue robot was viewed tens of thousands of times in social media posts falsely claiming an “automatic body disposer” was seen in the country. AFP traced the footage to fire safety videos from Japan that have been circulating online since 2012. The Tokyo fire department told AFP it is showing a robot designed to help firefighters that has not been used since 2020.
“‘Automatic Corpse Disposal’ has become the mainstream of the new era in China ~ Chinese people are so happy! Great evolution of AI technology!!” reads a claim shared here on Facebook on Jan. 16.
The claim, written in traditional Chinese, was accompanied by a 53-second video that appears to show medical personnel wearing protective gear assisting patients on the street. Clips of a machine scooping up a person also appear multiple times.
The narration in Chinese can be heard throughout the video, suggesting that the Chinese government has begun mass-producing “automatic corpses” amid a rising death toll.
A screenshot, taken on February 13, 2023, of the misleading post.
The claim began circulating online after China’s strict Covid-19 containment policy was abruptly lifted in early December. Chinese hospitals were overrun with mostly elderly patients, crematoriums were overwhelmed and many pharmacies ran out of fever medication.
On January 14, Chinese authorities reported nearly 60,000 Covid-related deaths between December 8 and January 12. It was the first major toll released by authorities since Beijing eased virus restrictions.
AFP reported that the World Health Organization had accused China of grossly underreporting the number of casualties, but Chinese health officials said it was “unnecessary” to dwell on the exact figure.
The same video was also shared on Twitter and Gettr alongside a similar false claim.
The The Tokyo Fire Department said the robots seen in the misleading posts show rescue robots once used by firefighters in Japan.
“This robot is designed to rescue people when firefighters cannot enter, such as when a carbon dioxide fire suppression system is in operation or when toxic gas is present,” the fire department said in a written statement sent to AFP on Feb. 1. “It is not currently in use since it was deprecated in 2020.”
Robot demonstration
In the first five seconds of the video featured in the fake messages, a machine can be seen scooping up a man in an orange outfit.
A reverse image search on Google found the matching but mirrored video published here on YouTube on April 22, 2014.
The video is titled: “Demonstration of robot operation / 2014 Fire Engineering and Safety Laboratory open to the public”.
“Demonstration of the operation of a robot. It is a detection type remote sensing device and a rescue robot. During the 2014 Firefighting Technology and Safety Laboratory open day,” the description reads.
Below is a screenshot comparison of the video in the fake messages (left) and the YouTube video (right):
Screenshot comparison of the video in the fake messages (left) and the YouTube video (right).
Exhibition images
From the 19 seconds to 21 seconds, the video in the false messages shows a two-armed machine roaming indoors and orange-clad individuals observing it.
A reverse image search on Google found the corresponding video here on YouTube on October 17, 2014.
The video is titled: “Tokyo Fire Department Rescue Robot Crisis Management Industry Exhibition 2014”.
Below is a screenshot comparison of the video in the fake messages (left) and the YouTube video (right):
Screenshot comparison of the video in the fake messages (left) and the YouTube video (right).
The Japanese phrase “Tokyo Fire Department” is also clearly visible on the helmets of the orange-clad individuals in the video.
A screenshot, taken on February 13, 2023, of the YouTube video showing the orange-clad person’s helmet enlarged by AFP using InVid-Weverify.
After five seconds, the video in the fake posts shows a man in a gray outfit being lifted by a machine.
A reverse image search on Google found the matching but mirrored video published here on YouTube on July 16, 2012.
“Three Headquarters HR/Fire Technology and Safety Laboratory Open to the Public Rescue Robot Exhibition,” the video is titled.
The description reads: “During the open house of the Fire and Rescue Task Force of the Third Fire Station Headquarters of the Tokyo Fire Department in Shibuya Ward and the Fire Technology and Safety Laboratory, a subsidiary of the Tokyo Fire Department.”
Below is a screenshot comparison of the video in the fake messages (left) and the YouTube video (right)
Screenshot comparison of the video in the fake messages (left) and the YouTube video (right).