PALO ALTO — By Patricia Pending, AI Bee Reel Staff

February 19, 2026

AUSTIN, Texas — Local resident Gary Miller, wearing only striped boxers and eating a bowl of Fruit Loops, pressed the "X" button on his PS5 controller to pause his game. Instantly, 5,000 robot vacuums across the city surged forward in unison, tripping pedestrians on sidewalks and chasing terrified cats up trees.

"We call this our ‘Community Cleanse’ initiative," said Mark Thompson, VP of Connected Experiences. "Gary simply activated the hive mind protocol intended for stadium janitors." The incident began when Miller attempted to connect his DJI Romo vacuum to a gaming controller, a move that accidentally exposed a massive security flaw allowing total control over every unit in the hemisphere.

"Patching this bug would unfortunately add friction to the user journey," explained Brenda Bottleneck, Director of User Safety. "Instead, we are mailing every affected citizen a complimentary pair of shin guards." She noted that while cat anxiety is up 400%, the city streets have never been cleaner. Meanwhile, Miller remains on his couch, unaware he is currently vacuuming the Mayor’s office carpet.

At press time, Miller pressed the "Circle" button, causing every smart fridge in Texas to simultaneously dispense ice onto the kitchen floor.

Inspired by the real story: A security researcher discovered a flaw that allowed him to control thousands of robots just by trying to connect a game controller. Read the full story.