Kevin O'Leary Slams 'Government-Subsidized' Intel Chips After Robot Malfunction: 'We Should Have Never Funded...'

Investor and "Shark Tank" personality Kevin O'Leary criticized government-subsidized Intel Corp. (NASDAQ:INTC) chips used in robots, calling a recent malfunction a warning about the risks of poorly supported technology. Robot Malfunction Sparks Criticism On Sunday, O'Leary posted on X, referencing a viral video showing a robot malfunction near a tray of fries. "This is not funny, and I’ll tell you why," he wrote. He added, "This is what happens when you use government-subsidized Intel chips. You don’t wanna put them inside a robot. We should have never funded that company. It should have died." O'Leary went on to suggest safety measures for robots, saying, "Maybe the idea of a kill switch is not a bad idea. Like, just pull one of its eyes out, it stops right there. That’s the way it should be." He also highlighted the specific flaw in the chips, noting, "That’s what happens when they get near fries," implying that the robot's electrical or sensor system failed under unexpected conditions. This is not funny, and I'll tell you why. This is what happens when you use government-subsidized Intel chips. You don't wanna put them inside a robot. We should have never funded that company. It should have died, and now any Intel chip in a robot, that's what happens when they… pic.twitter.com/PCesQTMsCf— Kevin O'Leary aka Mr. Wonderful (@kevinolearytv) March 23, 2026 Humanoid Robots Drive AI Innovation Earlier in March, Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) CEO Elon Musk claimed Tesla could be among the first companies to create artificial general intelligence (AGI) and embody it in humanoid robots. He added that the company would be "probably the first to make it in humanoid/atom-shaping form." Figure AI, backed by Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ:NVDA), released a video showing its Helix 02 Robot performing household chores. Musk questioned on X whether the robot was acting autonomously or remotely controlled. Xiaomi Corp (OTC:XIACY) (OTC:XIACF) deployed humanoid robots in its EV assembly plant, achieving three hours of autonomous operation with a 90.2% success rate, placing self-tapping nuts in the die-casting workshop. CEO Lei Jun predicted more robots would be used across production facilities in the next five years. Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors. Photo courtesy: Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com