A.I. yippee ki-yay! Downtown Austin just got its own cowboy robot

Welcome to the wild west of tech, where you might cross paths with a cowboy robot on your way to the local bar. Footage has surfaced of a robot running through Downtown Austin in a cowboy hat, and nobody really knows why. The public’s reaction? Let’s just say… people aren’t exactly thrilled. VISIT SBX CARS – […] The post A.I. yippee ki-yay! Downtown Austin just got its own cowboy robot appeared first on Supercar Blondie.

Jul 23, 2025 - 16:00
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A.I. yippee ki-yay! Downtown Austin just got its own cowboy robot

Welcome to the wild west of tech, where you might cross paths with a cowboy robot on your way to the local bar.

Footage has surfaced of a robot running through Downtown Austin in a cowboy hat, and nobody really knows why.

The public’s reaction?

Let’s just say… people aren’t exactly thrilled.

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Meet Jake: the cowboy robot

His lone ranger’s name is Jake.

He’s roughly the size of a child, shaped like a human, and wears sneakers and a cowboy hat.

The robot first appeared in Austin, Texas, in early June, popping up in TikTok and Instagram videos as he strolled down South Congress Avenue and Barton Springs Road. 

Sometimes he shakes hands. Sometimes he just walks. One clip shows him flashing a screen that says ‘in training’ – training for what, no one knows.

According to the Austin American-Statesman, Jake is a Unitree Robotics G1 model, developed by a China-based company and priced at over $16,000. 

While the robot may seem autonomous, he’s reportedly controlled by a human via wireless remote.

Who owns him? Still unclear. Why Austin? Also a mystery. But one thing’s for sure: he’s making himself at home.

The public isn’t so sure

While Jake’s just walking around and occasionally waving, the public’s reaction paints a very different mood, with commenters on TikTok clearly less than impressed. 

“This is how it starts,” wrote one viewer.

“I don’t like it,” another said.

Some even joked about how restrained bystanders were for not tripping the cowboy robot. 

But beneath the jokes was unease.

AI-powered machines are already serving popcorn at LA diners, playing in their own soccer league, and rolling through neighborhoods delivering groceries.

The more they crop up, the more they blur the line between spectacle and normal. But it seems they’re here to stay, so maybe it’s time to embrace them.

Welcome to the next frontier, where the cowboys are coded.

See Jake on the move in the video below:

@abc7newsbayarea A robot wearing a cowboy hat turned heads as it was spotted running through downtown Austin, Texas, in June. The cowboy bot has received a lot of attention from local press with citizens posting their sightings and interactions with it. As of the time of writing, it was not known who made the robot or why it was wandering the Texas capital. #robot #running #austintx #cowboy #abc #abc7news #fyp #foryoupage ♬ original sound – ABC7 News

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