When Speed Trumps Safety: A Whistleblower Speaks Out
In September 2025, Robert Gruendel — the former head of product safety at Figure AI — filed a federal whistleblower lawsuit in the U.S. Northern District of California, claiming he was unjustly terminated after repeatedly warning that non-human workers (humanoid robots) under development could pose fatal risks. He alleges his most serious safety concerns came just days before his firing: lab tests showed that one of the “AI employees” malfunctioned so violently it gouged a ¼-inch cut into a steel refrigerator door.
A Safety Roadmap Diluted After Big Funding
Gruendel says that he was tasked with creating a detailed product-safety roadmap, which he presented to two prospective investors. After the investors came on board—and Figure AI closed a massive funding round that drove its valuation to $39 billion—he claims that the very safety measures he had carefully designed were gutted. He argues this dilution wasn’t just reckless — it could amount to fraud, since the original safety plan had influenced investors’ decisions.
Risks Reported — But Not Taken Seriously
In his complaint, Gruendel told CEO Brett Adcock and Chief Engineer Kyle Edelberg that the robots’ power and speed might lead to deadly injuries, including the potential to fracture a human skull. According to him, his detailed warnings were dismissed as burdensome rather than essential. He also claims Figure AI cited a vague “change in business direction” to justify his firing — even though the safety issues, he argues, should have been treated as obligations, not obstacles.
Company Response and Broader Implications
Figure AI strongly denies the allegations. In their response, they said Gruendel was terminated for “poor performance” and called his claims “falsehoods.” But Gruendel’s legal team, citing California whistleblower protections, argues this could be one of the first major legal battles over robot safety in the humanoid-AI industry. The case raises important questions about how far startups will go to rush voice-AI agents and physical AI systems to market — and whether investor hype is outpacing responsible development.
Key Highlights:
- Robert Gruendel, former safety chief at Figure AI, claims he was fired after warning that the company’s humanoid robots could cause fatal harm.
- He points to a specific malfunction where a robot left a ¼-inch gash in a steel refrigerator door, suggesting dangerous force.
- Gruendel alleges that after a $39 billion funding round backed by investors like Jeff Bezos, Nvidia, and Microsoft, the safety roadmap he created was “gutted.”
- He’s seeking economic, compensatory, and punitive damages, plus a jury trial.
- Figure AI disputes the claims, saying he was fired for underperformance.
- The lawsuit adds fuel to growing concerns over the balance between innovation, safety, and transparency in the rapidly accelerating humanoid robot (non-human worker) market.
Reference:
https://qazinform.com/news/figure-ai-sued-after-safety-chief-warns-of-deadly-robot-risks-a26837/amp
