Retired AI robots get a 'Terminator'-esque send-off, thanks to Arnold Schwarzenegger

At a steel foundry in Finland, a line of decommissioned F.02 humanoid robots from San Jose–based startup Figure took a final bow in unmistakable movie fashion: they walked themselves into a vat of molten metal. One even paused to throw a thumbs-up on the edge, a deliberate echo of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s farewell in Terminator 2: Judgment Day.

Figure says it chose the dramatic send-off both as a nod to the film and to keep its proprietary hardware secure as it transitions from the F.02 line to the newer F.03. The retired bots, kept operational to the very end, executed their plunge autonomously after arriving at the facility.

The robots jumped autonomously into a 75-ton furnace at a Finnish steel foundry.

The idea reportedly took shape after CEO Brett Adcock polled X for a proper send-off and Schwarzenegger chimed in, suggesting the robots be melted down—mirroring the T-800’s famous sacrifice. Figure leaned all the way into the homage.

Before shipping overseas, engineers trained the units in California to practice safe “jumps” onto large airbags. Post-melt, the company retrieved the pooled metal and turned it into a limited run of keepsake artifacts.

Where to stream T2

If that thumbs-up sent you back to 1991, the film is currently streaming in the U.S. on:

• Paramount+
• Prime Video