CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA — A robot performed a dance routine at a Haidilao hot pot restaurant in Cupertino, California, striking a table and prompting servers to restrain it. A video shows the robot approaching a table and striking it before knocking over utensils and food in front of customers while performing a choreographed dance to the song "Love You" by Cyndi Wang.

Three servers held on to the robot by a strap on its neck to pull it away from tables as it shuffled its feet and gesticulated. Servers tried to restrain the robot while it continued moving.

"The robot was not malfunctioning or out of control," the statement said. "In this case, the robot was brought closer to a dining table at a guest's request, which is not its typical operating setting." "The limited space affected its movement during the performance," the statement said.

Haidilao said that the robot's movements in Cupertino were preprogrammed. "The robot was in 'celebration mode,'" a spokesperson said. "Its primary roles include 'celebration modes' where it performs coordinated movements to music for birthdays and other special events," a spokesperson said.

The robot in the video is part of the restaurant's in-store service and entertainment setup and is programmed to perform dance routines for customers. The restaurant uses food delivery robots to help move dishes, but this specific robot model is designed to enhance the dining atmosphere and entertain customers. The robot's apron read "I'M GOOD."

"This robot should have a kill switch, yet the servers in the video do not seem to know how to operate it," said Joanna Stern, Chief Technology Analyst. "I wouldn't worry too much about this robot sort of going rogue and leaving the restaurant and doing anything. I think it's just much more of a physical fear here," said Joanna Stern.

A video of the robot's dance at the Haidilao restaurant in Cupertino, California, went viral on Chinese social media and platforms such as X. The Haidilao restaurant in Cupertino, California, is the only U.S. location to feature this robot model. The restaurant is located in the heart of Silicon Valley.

Haidilao has used artificial intelligence and robotics in its restaurants around the world. Haidilao's smart restaurant in Beijing includes robot servers and automatic broth-mixing machines.