Update (06 October 2023):
Another video showing a robot participating in a basketball game alongside a human is currently circulating on various social media platforms, giving the impression that the video is genuine.
However, the viral video does not show real robots participating in a basketball game with humans. Instead, the video has been digitally manipulated to create the illusion of robots playing alongside humans.
Conducting a reverse image search on screenshots from the viral content directed us to a TikTok video featuring the unedited version of the same video. A comparison between these original visuals and the viral content clearly reveals that the viral video has been digitally manipulated to depict robots playing with humans. Further, a seven-minute video of the unedited version can be viewed here.
Published (20 September 2023):
A video depicting popular soccer player Kylian Mbappe engaged in a game of soccer alongside a robot is being shared with a claim that the footage is authentic. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video depicting popular soccer player Kylian Mbappe engaged in a game of soccer alongside a robot.
Fact: These visuals are not authentic, they have been generated through digital manipulation, substituting a human with that of a robot. The original video can be found on YouTube. Similar assertions have been made such as robots engaging in sports like badminton and table tennis. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
These visuals do not depict Mbappe engaging in a soccer match with a robot; instead, they have been digitally altered. Upon careful examination, it becomes evident that there is a distinct point at which the human is substituted with a robot.
Additionally, conducting a keyword search on YouTube directed us to a short video that shares resemblances with the viral visuals. This video was posted in June 2022 and has accumulated 137 million views. It appears that this video was digitally manipulated to create the illusion of Mbappe playing alongside a robot. A comparison between these visuals and the ones that went viral confirms their similarity.
Previously FACTLY has debunked similar claims related to robots engaging in sports such as table tennis and badminton alongside humans. Articles debunking these claims can be read here and here.
To sum it up, digitally altered visuals are being shared as robots participating in games alongside humans.
