China shows the world a new level of autonomous warfare

The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) has released footage showing the future of urban warfare. The stars of the exercises are four-legged robots carrying QBZ-95 assault rifles on their backs. While we've seen similar concepts before, the novelty this time lies in the way they operate. The robots are capable of communicating with each other and coordinating tactics without constant direct human guidance.

These “robot soldiers” are designed for dangerous missions, such as entering buildings or clearing fortified positions, where human casualties are most likely. Thanks to advanced sensors, LiDAR technology and artificial intelligence, the robots can independently identify targets and deploy to cover all corners of the space. In the footage, one robot can be seen moving forward while another provides it with “cover” with a rifle, which is a standard military doctrine that has now been successfully transferred to machines.

The technical sophistication of these devices allows for stable shooting even during rapid movement or on uneven terrain, which has been the biggest obstacle to such systems for many years. The robots are light enough for soldiers to transport them in armored vehicles, but durable enough to move through rubble. The integration of NPUs (neural processing units) directly into the robots means that they can make navigation decisions in milliseconds, reducing dependence on remote servers and increasing resistance to electronic interference.

The use of armed robot dogs raises many ethical questions about autonomous weapons systems and the future of their control. With this project, China is sending a clear message about its technological superiority in military robotics.