AUSTIN — By Ryan Gosling-To-Conclusions, AI Bee Reel Staff

February 20, 2026

SAN FRANCISCO, California — Dave Miller sat comfortably in his boxers, casually pressing ‘Forward’ on a game controller while eating a bowl of cereal. He was unaware that his button press had just triggered a montage of 5,000 terrified families across the country as their vacuums simultaneously charged at their ankles.

“This isn’t a ‘security flaw,’ it is a massive multiplayer cleaning game,” said Brad Jenkins, VP of Connected Experiences. “One user simply unlocked our ‘Hive Mode’ by connecting a standard game controller. It builds community by making sure everyone gets hit in the shins at the exact same time.” The incident occurred after a curious owner tried to hack his device and accidentally gained god-like dominion over thousands of units.

“We call it ‘Surprise Sweeping,'” explained Sarah Wu, Director of Trust. “Most people are lonely. Having a stranger in Ohio drive your robot into your cat gives you a human connection you just can’t get from a safe device.” She noted that users who do not wish to be hunted by their appliances can purchase a ‘Peace of Mind’ shield for an extra monthly fee.

At press time, the company announced a new “Battle Royale” update where the last vacuum standing wins a coupon for replacement side brushes.

Inspired by the real story: A curious tech user accidentally hijacked thousands of robots while trying to hook up a game controller. Read the full story.