This AI Sputnik turned out to be a total Splatnik. A much-hyped Russian robot faceplanted and flailed on stage during its grand debut in a humiliating misstep for mankind. AIDOL — an android hailed as “Russia’s first anthropomorphic robot with artificial intelligence” by its creator company of the same name — was led out onto a Moscow stage to much fanfare Tuesday as a group of about 50 journalists looked eagerly on.

At a technology event in Moscow on November 11, Russian robotics start-up AIDOL's humanoid robot, which is also named AIDOL, made a high-profile appearance that ended abruptly when it stumbled and fel...