In an unusual demonstration on the streets of Warsaw, about 30 robots marched in circles outside Poland's digital affairs ministry on Monday, waving flags and playing recorded chants through loudspeakers. The machines, ranging from bipedal humanoids to dog-like quadrupeds, called for stricter regulation of artificial intelligence to protect human jobs.
The protest was organized by Democratism, an initiative that aims to spark debate on how AI and robotisation are reshaping the labour market. One of the humanoid robots, named Agibot A3, fielded questions from journalists, stating: "The robots present here are meant to show that this technology is already a reality." The statement underscored the very point the organizers sought to make.
Chants such as "Defend workplaces," "Time for rules," and "Don't wait, regulate" played on loudspeakers as the machines demonstrated. Grzegorz Kuliś, the human organizer behind the event, emphasized the urgency: "We particularly want to address the issue of the potential replacement of people both by humanoid robots and by artificial intelligence in cognitive work." He added, "If we don't react now, we may soon have a problem," stressing the need for "rules and regulations that would serve as a shield protecting workers."
A demonstration with a dual purpose
The event blurred the line between protest and product demonstration, as the robots' mobility and pre-programmed chants showcased their current capabilities. Kuliś noted, "These robots can already move around freely, they're already 'protesting,'" leaving open the philosophical question of whether a machine reading a script can truly protest.
The demonstration drew the attention of Poland's Digital Affairs Minister, Krzysztof Gawkowski, who came out to meet the organizers. He acknowledged the risks, saying, "Uncontrolled (AI) models, implemented into humanoids that will also keep evolving as robotisation moves forward, are a major problem."
Kuliś, who serves as chief information officer of a robotics company and chief executive of an employment agency, has a background in labour policy, having served two terms on the Labour Market Council at the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy. He expressed a sense of responsibility "for starting to inform society about the rapid and dynamic technological changes which personally frighten us."
Who stands behind the machines
Local outlet Opolska360 reported that the robots were built by Delta Robots, a company based in Opole, southern Poland, that has produced humanoid and quadruped machines for over a decade. Kuliś is also president of Weegree, a recruitment firm with more than 20 years of history, also based in Opole. This detail highlights an irony: the robots warning of job losses were manufactured by the very industry raising the alarm.
Kuliś described Democratism as a movement he hopes will go international, with the goal "not to fight change, robotics or technological development," but to launch a debate on its consequences and how to counter negative effects.
During the protest, Minister Gawkowski announced that Poland is the first EU country to introduce oversight of the AI market. He outlined plans to establish a Commission for the Development and Security of Artificial Intelligence, along with regulatory sandboxes that would allow companies to test AI solutions before wider deployment. In July, Poland's President Karol Nawrocki signed into law a bill implementing the EU's AI Act, a landmark regulation that aims to set global standards for AI governance.
The protest in Warsaw comes amid broader European discussions on AI's impact on employment. Similar concerns have been raised in other EU capitals, and the European Parliament has hosted demonstrations of AI robots performing tasks in delivery, factory, and household settings. As the continent navigates the balance between innovation and worker protection, Poland's move to enforce the AI Act could serve as a test case for the rest of the bloc.
