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Scottish Sun
15 hours ago
- Science
- Scottish Sun
China unveils tiny terrifying mosquito-sized drone to be used for spying & ‘special missions' as they sneak into homes
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) CHINA has unveiled a horrifying mosquito-sized drone to be used for covert missions and spying. The spindly device looks scarily akin to the blood-sucking insect - making it a valuable tool for secret information gathering. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 China has unveiled a tiny terrifying mosquito-sized drone 3 Experts warn it will be used for spying missions 3 In a video published by state media over the weekend, scientists are seen holding up the moquito-like robot which they say will perform a range of military and civilian activities. But experts warn the drone's miniature size will mean it can easily and covertly access private indoor areas and listen in on people's conversations. The eerie device has two yellow, leaf-like wings, a black thin body and three wiry legs. Experts have warned the size of the drone means it will be much quieter than traditional models. Read more on World PARTY BOAT Jeff Bezos' luxury superyacht heads to Venice for world's most lavish wedding This could mean greater access to restricted areas such as "secure government facilities". Sam Bresnick, a research fellow at Georgetown's Centre for Security and Emerging Technology told The Telegraph: 'If China is able to produce mosquito-sized drones, "It would likely be interested in using them for various intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance tasks, especially in places that larger drones struggle to access, such as indoor areas." 'These drones could be used to track individuals or listen in on conversations." In addition to posing a security threat, microdrones like these could also wound up being adopted for personal interests. Timothy Heath, a senior defence researcher in the US, cautioned these tiny devices could even be exploited by criminals trying to gain access to people's passwords. Moment Israel DOWNS Iranian drone over Syria This comes as it was revealed killer camouflage drones the size of insects could be used by Russia and China to commit untraceable murders. Tracey Follows, an ex-Google futurist, warned they could even carry deadly pathogens and be used to spy on the UK. And it is a prediction which is a chilling echo of the Black Mirror episode "Hated in the Nation". The near future sci-fi show envisioned of world where robot bees designed to pollinate flowers could be hijacked to commit murder. The Future of You author previously told The Sun: 'In time, one expects a drone to have the situational awareness to carry out an attack autonomously without a human in the loop. 'The big question is what's the payload on these drones, what are you actually attaching to the drone? 'Increasingly, over the last four or five years, I've been reading about viruses and how you can potentially attach a pathogen to these sorts of weapons. 'So not only can you identify somebody personally, you can then attack them with a virus, for example.' Terrifyingly, she warned it could open the door for rogue nations like Russia to assassinate targets on UK soil without leaving a trace.
The Irish Sun
15 hours ago
- Science
- The Irish Sun
China unveils tiny terrifying mosquito-sized drone to be used for spying & ‘special missions' as they sneak into homes
CHINA has unveiled a horrifying mosquito-sized drone to be used for covert missions and spying. The spindly Advertisement 3 China has unveiled a tiny terrifying mosquito-sized drone 3 Experts warn it will be used for spying missions 3 In a video published by state media over the weekend, scientists are seen holding up the moquito-like robot which they say will perform a range of military and civilian activities. But experts warn the drone's miniature size will mean it can easily and covertly access private indoor areas and listen in on people's conversations. The eerie device has two yellow, leaf-like wings, a black thin body and three wiry legs. Experts have warned the size of the drone means it will be much quieter than traditional models . Advertisement Read more on World This could mean greater access to restricted areas such as "secure government facilities". Sam Bresnick, a research fellow at Georgetown's Centre for Security and Emerging Technology told "It would likely be interested in using them for various intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance tasks, especially in places that larger drones struggle to access, such as indoor areas." 'These drones could be used to track individuals or listen in on conversations." Advertisement Most read in The US Sun Breaking Latest In addition to posing a security threat, microdrones like these could also wound up being adopted for personal interests. Timothy Heath, a senior defence researcher in the US, cautioned these tiny devices could even be exploited by criminals trying to gain access to people's passwords. Moment Israel DOWNS Iranian drone over Syria This comes as it Tracey Follows, an ex-Google futurist, warned they could even carry deadly pathogens and be used to spy on the UK. Advertisement And it is a prediction which is a chilling echo of the Black Mirror episode "Hated in the Nation". The near future sci-fi show envisioned of world where robot bees designed to pollinate flowers could be hijacked to commit murder. The Future of You author previously told The Sun: 'In time, one expects a drone to have the situational awareness to carry out an attack autonomously without a human in the loop. 'The big question is what's the payload on these drones, what are you actually attaching to the drone? Advertisement 'Increasingly, over the last four or five years, I've been reading about viruses and how you can potentially attach a pathogen to these sorts of weapons. 'So not only can you identify somebody personally, you can then attack them with a virus, for example.' Terrifyingly, she warned it could open the door for rogue nations like Russia to assassinate targets on UK soil without leaving a trace. Chinese drone carrier that can launch deadly swarms by James Moules, Foreign News Reporter A NEW Chinese drone carrier that can launch deadly swarms against enemy targets could take to the skies within days. This unmanned "drone mother ship" is expected to take off for its first mission as part of a terrifying drive to boost the Chinese air force's combat capabilities. Named Jiu Tian - meaning "nine heavens" - this unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) would add to China's ability to "swarm" enemies. This tactic involves releasing vast swarms of drones that work together to overwhelm enemy air defence systems. A video widely circulated on X shows a visualisation of the aircraft's capabilities - demonstrating its ability to release vast swarms of deadly drones. China's state broadcaster CCTV confirmed its inaugural mission on Monday. The jet-powered drone will start by undergoing a series of tests before it is fully deployed by the Chinese air force. Boasting a carrying capacity of up to six tonnes of ammunition and small-sized drones, the UAV has a maximum range of 4,350 miles and altitude of 50,000 feet. Swarms of drones, including kamikaze UAVs, can be released from both sides of the aircraft's belly. Terrifyingly, it is reportedly able to fly above many medium-range defence systems currently deployed around the world.
The Sun
15 hours ago
- Science
- The Sun
China unveils tiny terrifying mosquito-sized drone to be used for spying & ‘special missions' as they sneak into homes
CHINA has unveiled a horrifying mosquito-sized drone to be used for covert missions and spying. The spindly device looks scarily akin to the blood-sucking insect - making it a valuable tool for secret information gathering. 3 3 In a video published by state media over the weekend, scientists are seen holding up the moquito-like robot which they say will perform a range of military and civilian activities. But experts warn the drone's miniature size will mean it can easily and covertly access private indoor areas and listen in on people's conversations. The eerie device has two yellow, leaf-like wings, a black thin body and three wiry legs. Experts have warned the size of the drone means it will be much quieter than traditional models. This could mean greater access to restricted areas such as "secure government facilities". Sam Bresnick, a research fellow at Georgetown's Centre for Security and Emerging Technology told The Telegraph: 'If China is able to produce mosquito-sized drones, "It would likely be interested in using them for various intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance tasks, especially in places that larger drones struggle to access, such as indoor areas." 'These drones could be used to track individuals or listen in on conversations." In addition to posing a security threat, microdrones like these could also wound up being adopted for personal interests. Timothy Heath, a senior defence researcher in the US, cautioned these tiny devices could even be exploited by criminals trying to gain access to people's passwords. Moment Israel DOWNS Iranian drone over Syria This comes as it was revealed killer camouflage drones the size of insects could be used by Russia and China to commit untraceable murders. Tracey Follows, an ex-Google futurist, warned they could even carry deadly pathogens and be used to spy on the UK. And it is a prediction which is a chilling echo of the Black Mirror episode "Hated in the Nation". The near future sci-fi show envisioned of world where robot bees designed to pollinate flowers could be hijacked to commit murder. The Future of You author previously told The Sun: 'In time, one expects a drone to have the situational awareness to carry out an attack autonomously without a human in the loop. 'The big question is what's the payload on these drones, what are you actually attaching to the drone? 'Increasingly, over the last four or five years, I've been reading about viruses and how you can potentially attach a pathogen to these sorts of weapons. 'So not only can you identify somebody personally, you can then attack them with a virus, for example.' Terrifyingly, she warned it could open the door for rogue nations like Russia to assassinate targets on UK soil without leaving a trace. Chinese drone carrier that can launch deadly swarms by James Moules, Foreign News Reporter A NEW Chinese drone carrier that can launch deadly swarms against enemy targets could take to the skies within days. This unmanned "drone mother ship" is expected to take off for its first mission as part of a terrifying drive to boost the Chinese air force's combat capabilities. Named Jiu Tian - meaning "nine heavens" - this unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) would add to China's ability to "swarm" enemies. This tactic involves releasing vast swarms of drones that work together to overwhelm enemy air defence systems. A video widely circulated on X shows a visualisation of the aircraft's capabilities - demonstrating its ability to release vast swarms of deadly drones. China's state broadcaster CCTV confirmed its inaugural mission on Monday. The jet-powered drone will start by undergoing a series of tests before it is fully deployed by the Chinese air force. Boasting a carrying capacity of up to six tonnes of ammunition and small-sized drones, the UAV has a maximum range of 4,350 miles and altitude of 50,000 feet. Swarms of drones, including kamikaze UAVs, can be released from both sides of the aircraft's belly. Terrifyingly, it is reportedly able to fly above many medium-range defence systems currently deployed around the world.
Telegraph
a day ago
- Science
- Telegraph
China unveils mosquito-sized drone
At first glance, the tiny object – barely the size of a human fingernail – looks like a toy. Made to resemble a mosquito, it has two yellow, leaf-like wings, a black vertical body and three hair-thin legs. The apparatus in question, developed by scientists at a university in China's central Hunan province, is far from a plaything, however: it's a new drone with a wide range of military and civilian uses. In a video published by China's state-media over the weekend, one of the scientists is seen holding up a model of the 'mosquito-like type of robot', which he says is 'suited to information reconnaissance and special missions on the battlefield'. Experts told The Telegraph that while the size of the drone might make it difficult to use on the battlefield, it has plenty of valuable and possibly dangerous uses for information gathering. 'If China is able to produce mosquito-sized drones, it would likely be interested in using them for various intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance tasks, especially in places that larger drones struggle to access, such as indoor areas,' said Sam Bresnick, a research fellow at Georgetown's Center for Security and Emerging Technology. 'These drones could be used to track individuals or listen in on conversations,' he added. Smaller drones are much quieter and less visible to the naked eye, which could allow them to bypass detection and enter secure and restricted locations without being noticed, such as 'intelligence or secure government facilities', said Timothy Heath, a senior defence researcher and China expert at the Rand Corporation in the United States. Many secure facilities have technology to block wireless transmissions, so even if the drone could fit through a crack in a window it may not be able to receive commands once inside. But the use of these microdrones could also extend beyond defence purposes if they were made available to the public. 'People could use the drones to spy on their neighbors or individuals of interest. Criminals could use the drones to infiltrate a business or a citizen's home and observe the entering of passwords,' said Mr Heath. However, the size of the drone currently limits the amount of technology it can carry. For example, they would use very small batteries, which would have to be charged regularly. They would also only be able to carry tiny sensors, meaning the operator would have to be located nearby. 'To spy over a long period of time, someone would need to be willing to constantly cycle out microdrones, recharge them, and redeploy them in addition to sifting through the collected data, all within range of the target person or business,' said Mr Heath. 'This is why the drone is less useful for battlefields but more useful for special mission operations or espionage missions,' he added. The mosquito-sized drones are not the first mini – or insect-inspired – drones on the market. For more than a decade, scientists at Harvard University have been developing a miniature drone, modelled after bees, called the RoboBee. Similar to the new Chinese drone, the RoboBee is barely the size of a penny, with two flat wings and four razor thin legs. Certain models are able to both swim underwater and fly. Its applications are similarly wide-reaching, including search and rescue operations, surveillance and environmental monitoring. Also on the market are the palm-sized Black Hornet drones, used by armies around the world, including in the UK and the US. Larger than the insect-sized drones and resembling a mini helicopter, Black Hornets are able to overcome some of the operational challenges posed by the microdrones while still remaining discrete. Ukraine's Special Operations Forces have used Black Hornets for reconnaissance in Kursk since Russia's invasion in 2022.
The Independent
25-03-2025
- Business
- The Independent
China reportedly using DeepSeek AI model to support its military
The Chinese Army has reportedly started using DeepSeek's open-source artificial intelligence (AI) for non-combat support functions in what appears to be an experiment before expanding to high-risk areas. DeepSeek, which paved the way for China to establish its dominance in the global AI ecosystem, is being used in hospitals run by the People's Liberation Army (PLA). The AI's open-source large language models are also deployed in the People's Armed Police and national defence mobilisation organs, according to local reports. The general hospital of the Chinese military's Central Theatre Command said it had authorised 'embedded deployment' of DeepSeek's AI model R1-70B LLM to provide treatment plan suggestions to support doctors, adding that all data was stored and processed on local servers. Similarly, hospitals across China, including the military general hospital in Beijing, have incorporated DeepSeek within its electronic medical record (EMR) system for inpatients for diagnostic and treatment support, according to state media Global Times. The use of DeepSeek's models in settings like hospitals and soldier training programmes offers the military a "controlled environment for experimentation", Sam Bresnick, a research fellow at Georgetown University's Centre for Security and Emerging Technology, told Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post. Deploying the AI models in non-combat roles, provides the PLA with an opportunity to address the technical and operational challenges before expanding into more sensitive, high-risk areas, he told the outlet. He said 'the emergence of an advanced model like DeepSeek's R1 might help" the PLA in using AI for military decision-making. Deepseek's R1 model surpasses its rivals in several key metrics, outperforming OpenAI's ChatGPT – despite being built at a fraction of the cost. The perceived better performance of DeepSeek's models has led US tech companies to lose $1 trillion in valuation, amid fears that Chinese AI could overtake those in Silicon Valley. According to Chongqing Landship Information Technology, an autonomous driving solution provider, DeepSeek's AI has a massive potential to be used in the military for actions that range from controlling unmanned vehicles to giving commands. "In military strategic planning, DeepSeek can conduct in-depth analysis of massive intelligence information and provide military commanders with accurate decision-making support,' it said in a white paper, according to Asia Times. It added that the AI models can quickly identify key military targets from satellite images and estimate their sizes and numbers. Last month, the group said it deployed DeepSeek in a self-driving military vehicle called Xingji P60, which was displayed at the International Defence Exhibition and Conference in Abu Dhabi. Besides the military, a growing number of cities in China have reportedly integrated DeepSeek's AI mode into government services to streamline repetitive tasks. Yuan Jiajun, the Communist Party chief of Chongqing in southwestern China, said his administration will deploy 'AI+' citywide. Lawmakers from Shanghai and Guangdong aim to identify areas in their constituencies that could excel in AI, Bloomberg reported. The local administrations in Beijing and Shenzhen have set funds to nurture AI and robotics development. DeepSeek was created in 2023, in the wake of excitement over other AI tools from companies such as ChatGPT. At that point, China was widely thought to be trailing behind US research and development of artificial intelligence. Since its founding, however, DeepSeek has released a range of models that have helped increase confidence in the work coming from China. The startup has said that its more advanced models are on a par with those from OpenAI and Meta, while also being dramatically cheaper to use. US president Donald Trump has praised the AI breakthrough as a "wake-up call" for American tech firms that ultimately "could be good" for the US. AI models from ChatGPT to DeepSeek require advanced chips to power their training. The Biden administration has since 2021 widened the scope of bans designed to stop these chips from being exported to China and used to train Chinese firms' AI models. However, DeepSeek researchers claim that the DeepSeek-V3 used Nvidia's H800 chips for training, spending less than $6m. Although this detail has since been disputed, the claim that the chips used were less powerful than the most advanced Nvidia products Washington has sought to keep out of China, as well as the relatively cheap training costs, has prompted US tech executives to question the effectiveness of tech export controls.
