A humanoid robot was spotted begging for money on a street corner in China's Sichuan province last week.

In a viral clip, the bot was seen kneeling on the street, holding its hands together and bowing to passersby.

Meanwhile, an LED sign and loudspeaker told locals it had 'no money to recharge' and begged them to 'please help with electricity bills'.

The robotic beggar even had a small plate for collecting coins and, of course, a QR code to collect digital payments.

The humans behind this digital panhandler are yet to be revealed, although the bot has been identified as a $16,000 (£12,000) Unitree G1 humanoid robot.

Online speculation has run rampant over whether this is an elaborate practical joke, a bizarre piece of performance art, or a particularly strange money–making scheme.

Tech fans joked on social media: 'Even beggars are being replaced by robots.'

As clips of the begging robot spread, social media users have flocked to poke fun at the bot's baffling appearance.

One commenter wrote: 'Another day, another robot taking a goddam job from us!'

'Job market so bad even robots have to beg,' chimed in another.

Meanwhile another jokingly added: 'First they took our jobs, now they're taking our spare change.'

Many social media users were more curious about why someone would have set up such an expensive robot to beg for change in the first place.

'It's an extremely lucrative money–making method, way more than minimum–wage jobs,' one commenter speculated.

'The owner is chilling at home you know,' suggested another.

One commenter jokingly added: 'The cost of purchasing this robot is recovered from the robot itself.'

However, not everyone was a fan of the strange robotic beggar, and many were outraged to see members of the public giving money away.

One commenter angrily wrote: 'If we can't guarantee basic dignity for our own citizens, why would we treat artificial intelligence any better?'