Figure humanoid robot hand showed skull-cracking force in trials, whistleblower warns

Figure AI, a leading California-based humanoid robot company, is facing a lawsuit from its former head of product safety, Robert Gruendel, who claims he was wrongfully terminated after raising serious safety concerns. Gruendel warned top executives, including CEO Brett Adcock and chief engineer Kyle Edelberg, that the company’s robots possessed enough force to cause severe physical harm, citing an incident where a robot malfunctioned and gouged a steel refrigerator door. Despite his documented safety complaints, Gruendel alleges his warnings were dismissed and he was fired under the pretext of a vague “change in business direction.” Figure AI disputes these claims, stating Gruendel was terminated for poor performance and plans to challenge the allegations in court. Gruendel seeks economic, compensatory, and punitive damages, emphasizing that California law protects whistleblowers reporting unsafe practices. The lawsuit also accuses Figure AI of undermining a safety plan Gruendel developed for major investors, removing critical elements that influenced their decision to fund the company. This action