China has unveiled two robot dogs, one wielding a machine gun and the other equipped with AI.
State broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) aired a news story about the digital hound earlier this week.
Both bear a strong resemblance to Boston Dynamics' robotic dog Spot, although the larger model, said to weigh 50 kilograms (110.5 pounds), is seen armed with a machine gun and advanced while a Chinese soldier remotely fires the gun.
“The aircraft will be a new member of our urban combat operations, replacing our troops in conducting reconnaissance, identifying enemies and attacking targets during our training,” explained Chinese soldier Chen Wei.
The other computerized dog is a lightweight beast weighing 15 kilograms (30 pounds) that is said to be capable of roaming the battlefield on its own thanks to AI and can “transmit information about on-site obstacles such as chain-link fences, discarded tires and tire spikes.”
Dogs can also jump or move back and forth. Lying down is another option, maybe to duck an incoming projectile or ask for a belly rub.
Here's a video of the puppy, as well as some of the drones the Chinese military has deployed for other missions.
China's machine-gun-equipped robot dogs are nothing new, and neither is China's approach to the dual-wielding beasts. The U.S. military is considering the same idea, and like China, it wants a human to pull the trigger, rather than letting machine-gun-equipped robot dogs run wild.
This approach puts both countries in line with current international consensus that autonomous weapons are too dangerous to be used: if an AI-controlled weapon makes a mistake, it could escalate conflict and bring further harm to humanity.
China's military has not said whether the robot dogs are capable of fighting on the front lines, but their use in joint military exercises with Cambodia suggests such a scenario is being actively considered.
But how useful the creature will be is questionable. China Central Television reported that the battery in the creature's abdomen could run for two to four hours, which is not a long time in real combat.
