Beijing, April 27 -- A humanoid robot performing at a university dance event in China startled the crowd when it suddenly moved closer to a female student and hugged her, prompting the staff to quickly pull it away. The video of the event at the university in China's Shaanxi province went viral and sparked a debate in the Chinese social media about whether the robot developed autonomous behaviour or was manipulated by its handler. The incident has prompted experts to work out enhanced safety measures as robots' participation in public events became "new normal" in China with the government's push to showcase the country's growing might in the field of Artificial Intelligence(AI). Commenting on the incident, a staff member told the media that the joint performance between the robot and a student club was an attempt to innovate campus cultural activities. The student involved was not injured and later declined media interview requests, the state-run Global Times reported on Sunday. The robot's unexpected behaviour has sparked discussion online. Some netizens wondered whether the robot had developed "independent awareness," while others questioned whether the move was controlled by an operator or had been pre-arranged as part of the performance. A university staff member denied that the move was pre-programmed, saying, "Based on what we understood at the time, the robot made a mistake," according to the report. The staff member was quoted by Global Times daily as saying that the "mistake" was an AI program malfunction. The robot used in the performance was provided by an alumni-founded company and was returned after the event....