Rebellion within the ranks: China's top military paper challenges Xi Jinping's push for battlefield robots
Big change in tone from earlier
China building robot army fast
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China's top military newspaper PLA Daily published an article warning against using humanoid robots in war. The article goes against President Xi Jinping's military tech ambitions, especially his focus on high automation and AI in the army, as per the reports.Three writers—Yuan Yi, Ma Ye, and Yue Shiguang—wrote the piece, but it's not clear if they are from the army or civilian defence. The article says using humanoid robots in large numbers could cause 'indiscriminate killings' and accidental deaths, which could lead to legal issues and moral backlash, as stated in the report by The Telegraph.It asks the military to do more ethical and legal studies before using these robots in battle. The piece admits that humanoid robots are useful for war since they reduce human deaths, and could be the next big step in military tech, like drones once were, as per the reports.But it warns that the technology is still new and not fully understood, so the use of these robots in combat should be strictly controlled and regulated. This article is very unusual for PLA Daily, which normally just promotes the government's military plans. That's why many experts are surprised, as reported by The Telegraph.Just two months ago, the same paper praised humanoid robots and said they would change the future of war in a good way. The new warning might mean that some people in Beijing are not fully happy with China's heavy focus on military AI and robots, as per the report by The Telegraph.Interestingly, the article didn't name the Chinese military (PLA) directly, but it did name other countries like the US, Russia, and Japan, saying they are also investing heavily in humanoid robots for war. China is leading the world in automation, with more robots per worker than any country except South Korea and Singapore, according to the reports.From 2022 to 2023, China added over 276,000 roboworkers, which is more than half of all robots used globally. Last month, China's state media proudly showed off the world's first robot football match, where AI robots played soccer with no human help, as per The Telegraph report.The Chinese defence industry is also making robot dogs for combat, and military strategists are openly supporting the use of humanoid robots in battle. The US, on the other hand, is not focusing much on humanoid robots, but is investing more in next-gen fighter jets and drones, claims reports.A well-known scholar at the PLA's top institute, Wang Yonghua, has said that humanoid robots can mimic human actions, interact with humans, and replace soldiers in complex missions, as stated by The Telegraph.The PLA Daily warned that humanoid robots could cause accidental killings and legal or moral problems.China is developing humanoid robots and combat robot dogs, but some experts now want strict rules before using them in war.
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