During a tech shows in Guangdong, China, XPENG Motors unveiled it's next generation humanoid robot, IRON.

According to the firm, the robot is designed with a female form, features a bionic spine, artificial muscles, and fully flexible skin, and even demonstrated a graceful catwalk-like gait on stage.

However, its highly realistic appearance and movements sparked online speculation, with some netizens claiming that “there’s a real person inside the robot.”

On November 6, the company publicly addressed the rumours by releasing a video show employees unzip the robot to reveal its internal mechanical structure.

Later that evening another part of the team went further and cut open the robot's leg while it was powered on, exposing the machine's wiring.

The controversy briefly caused XPENG’s US stock price to drop nearly 4%, but after the transparent demonstration, the company’s Hong Kong shares rebounded sharply.