Figure destroys F.02 humanoid robots in Finnish furnace

By Splitfeed EditorialLast updated Oct 5, 2026, 16:01 UTC

In early October 2026, American robotics company Figure destroyed the majority of its F.02 humanoid robots by melting them in a furnace located in Finland. Reports from October 4 and 5, 2026 confirmed the disposal, with one outlet noting that the decision was made on the advice of Arnold Schwarzenegger, though no further detail about his formal role or relationship with the company has been provided in available sources. The action was framed as a deliberate measure to protect Figure's proprietary technology, suggesting the hardware itself, not just software or data, was considered sensitive enough to warrant physical elimination rather than storage, resale, or simple decommissioning.

The destruction of functioning humanoid robots is unusual enough to warrant scrutiny beyond the surface act. Companies routinely retire hardware, but melting robots in a furnace in a foreign country implies a concern about reverse engineering or competitive intelligence gathering that ordinary disposal would not address. The F.02 line was a relatively recent generation of Figure's humanoid platform, and its destruction raises questions about what the company believes it has developed that competitors must not access, and whether a successor model is already in progress. The involvement of Arnold Schwarzenegger, however tangential, is a notable detail that points to Figure operating within an unusually wide circle of advisors or investors, though no specifics about that relationship are available.

None of the three camps, Pro-AI, Anti-AI, or Middle Ground, have published reactions to this story yet. Pro-AI voices would typically frame the destruction as responsible corporate stewardship, protecting breakthrough technology so it can be deployed properly and safely on Figure's own terms. Anti-AI voices would likely raise concerns about the secrecy itself, arguing that destroying hardware to prevent scrutiny is a sign that the robotics industry is developing capabilities it prefers to keep away from public or regulatory oversight. The Middle Ground camp would probably focus on the intellectual property question, treating this as a legitimate competitive move while calling for clearer norms around what AI and robotics companies are permitted to keep proprietary.

The questions most worth watching are what Figure announces as a follow-on to the F.02 line, whether any regulatory body in the United States or Finland asks questions about the disposal, and whether Schwarzenegger's role receives any formal clarification from the company.