Exciting, breathtaking, shocking or funny clips constantly appear on social media. A recently seen video shows a fascinating table tennis match between a human and a robot. The title of the video, “Will Humans Ever Beat Robots,” promises an exciting confrontation between humans and machines. But how real is this video?
The phenomenon of the table tennis playing robot
In the viral clip, we see a table tennis-playing robot playing against a human opponent with impressive ease and precision. The human is visibly struggling, while the robot parries every blow seemingly effortlessly and wins the point in the end.
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This video is often used as an example of how advanced AI and robotics capabilities have already become. But is that really true? Or is this video just another example of the deceptions that lurk in the vastness of the Internet?
A critical look at the video
The first doubts about the video arise when you take a closer look. Above all, the movements of the supposed robot at the edge of the picture and his rallies generate skepticism. With a little research you can quickly find the original video.
The truth behind the video
The unedited short video can be found on YouTube under the title “Absolute Insane Table Tennis Defense from Yang Wang”. It was uploaded by multiple accounts and has been online since March 2023.
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The original video, in turn, was shared on the YouTube channel of the Czech Table Tennis Association, the national organization for table tennis in the Czech Republic. The video's description states that it is highlights of a qualifying match that took place on March 22 between the Czech Republic and Slovenia for the European Men's Team Championship.
It is very clear to see in the detailed comparison that the entire environment is clearly the same in both videos. Especially the people at the top of the game, as well as the opponent, are clearly the same in the videos. So let's now turn our attention to the real actors.
The descriptions of each video provide a clue to the true identity of the so-called robot - it is actually Yang Wang , a professional table tennis player. Yang Wang is an internationally renowned table tennis player known for his defensive skills. He has won several titles and represents Slovenia in international tournaments. His opponent is Jan Valenta.
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Man or machine?
It turns out that the “robot” in the video is actually a human – and none other than an internationally recognized table tennis player.
This example clearly shows how easy it is to be deceived on the Internet and how important it is to take a critical look at the content presented to us. It also reminds us that people can sometimes demonstrate abilities so impressive that we might consider them inhuman.
Although AI and robotics have made impressive advances, this video has been fundamentally manipulated. This robot doesn't exist.
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Notes:
1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication. The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual contributions were created through the use of machine assistance and were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )