Photo: CGTN
China recently unveiled two robot dogs—one equipped with a machine gun and the other driven by AI. State broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) shared the news earlier this week.
The robots look very similar to Boston Dynamics’s “Spot” robot. The larger of the two, which weighs about 50kg (110 pounds), was shown carrying a machine gun. It moved forward under remote control by a Chinese soldier who also fired the weapon.
“It can serve as a new member in our urban combat operations, replacing our members to conduct reconnaissance and identify enemies and strike the target during our training,” explained Chen Wei, a Chinese soldier.
The other robot dog, which weighs about 15kg (30 pounds), uses AI to navigate battlefields. It’s designed to “transmit information about on-site obstacles such as wire fences, discarded tires, and tire spikes.”
This lightweight model can also jump, move forward and backward, and even lie down—maybe to avoid incoming fire or, more humorously, to ask for a belly rub.
Here’s the video of the robotic dog, along with some drones that the Chinese military has started using for other tasks.
China’s machine-gun-toting robot dogs aren’t a new concept; the US military has also been exploring similar ideas. Like China, the US prefers to have a human in control of the trigger rather than allowing the robot dogs to operate the machine guns autonomously.
That approach aligns both nations with current international views that fully autonomous weapons are too risky. An error by an AI-controlled weapon could escalate conflicts and cause greater harm to people.
China’s military hasn’t said if its robot dogs are ready for frontline use, but their participation in joint military exercises with Cambodia suggests this possibility is being actively explored.
The practicality of these robot dogs remains uncertain. China Central Television noted that the batteries mounted on their undersides can power the machines for only two to four hours, which isn’t much time for actual combat situations.
