China's military newspaper defies Xi Jinping over battlefield robots
In an article published on Thursday, three authors said that large-scale, normalised use could lead to 'indiscriminate killings and accidental deaths', which would inevitably result in legal charges and moral condemnation.
They added that militaries should conduct 'ethical and legal research' on humanoid robots to 'avoid moral pitfalls.'
The plea, which was published in the PLA Daily – named for the country's military, the People's Liberation Army – was written by Yuan Yi, Ma Ye and Yue Shiguang. However, it's unclear whether they are military officials or civilian defence experts.
The authors noted that because humanoid robots remove the risk of battlefield casualties, they are likely to 'become a new growth pole for military intelligence', following in the rapid expansion of drones and other unmanned vehicles.
Combat use should be 'constrained'
They also said that the understanding of these kinds of robots is 'still in the embryonic stage with insufficient exploration and unclear positioning' and rules are key to 'regulating and constraining their combat use, avoiding mistakes and loss of control'.
The article in the PLA Daily was a strange departure from the usual propaganda that the military-run outlet normally produces and has raised eyebrows among China watchers in terms of what exactly it was intended to accomplish.
Less than two months ago, the outlet published an article praising humanoid robots and their ability to 'transform humanity's perception of the future of warfare'.
China has a reputation for concealing and obfuscating its own capacities by pointing the finger at others – especially the US – but the article could also indicate that there are some in Beijing that disagree with the highly-automated trajectory the country is headed in.
The article did not make any specific mention of the PLA, but did explicitly name other countries, including the US, Russia and Japan, which, it said, 'attach great importance to the development of humanoid robots and their military applications'.
While many countries around the world have invested in the development of robots, artificial intelligence and unmanned vehicles, China has been the leading player in the field with the development of its 'army of robots'.
Over 250,000 Chinese roboworkers
China has more automation capacity than the US, Germany and Japan and more robots per worker than any other country, except for South Korea and Singapore.
According to the International Federation of Robotics, between 2022 and 2023, China deployed over 276,00 roboworkers – more than half of all robots in use around the world.
Last month, Chinese state media celebrated this fact with widespread reports publicising the world's first fully autonomous AI robot football match.
China's defence sector has also been rapidly developing and incorporating robotics, namely with the developments of combat-trained robot dogs.
Chinese military strategists within the PLA have also advocated for the use of humanoid robots specifically in combat settings.
The US has not been focusing on humanoid technology as much, and is prioritising a new generation of fighter jets, as well as ramping up drone production.
Wang Yonghua, a scholar at the PLA's top research institute, has previously written that humanoid robots 'can simulate various human activities, better realise human-computer interaction, and are more suitable for replacing humans to complete complex tasks'.
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