You can remove the figure - here's uBlock Origin filter to block it from loading:

  ! Title: Hide Anubis Image
  */.within.website/x/cmd/anubis/static/img/*.webp$image

(c) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46310941

Yes, and at least in the past it did proof of work to verify that it wasn't a bot. Though apparently that is no longer effective against all bots.