Assault rifle on the back
China deploys robotic fighting dog
30.05.2024, 15:07
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During a military exercise by the Chinese army, a robot dog made by Unitree appears with an assault rifle on its back. The manufacturer claims that it has no business relations with the military. Investors are left with a hard time explaining themselves.
During a joint military exercise with Cambodia, the Chinese army welcomed a very special new recruit into its ranks. In addition to the 760 Chinese military personnel, video footage shows a robot dog from the Chinese company Unitree Robotics equipped with an assault rifle. According to a report in the Financial Times, a soldier told state television that the robot dog could shoot after it had spotted an enemy. The dog had also become a new “team member” for combat and defense operations in cities.
The Hangzhou-based company has since said that it does not sell the robots to the Chinese military. How the People’s Liberation Army got hold of the dog is not yet known. Unitree said its products are manufactured exclusively for civilian use and the startup is not involved in their use for military purposes. “The company also has no contractual or business relationships with military-related parties,” the Financial Times quoted Unitree as saying.
However, the use by the Chinese military shows that it is difficult for investors to ensure that their investments in groundbreaking technologies such as robotics are not militarized. The company is supported by leading venture capitalists and most recently raised around 140 million US dollars in February. Among them are Neil Shen’s HongShan, Matrix Partners China and Shunwei Capital, which was founded by Xiaomi founder Lei Jun. The well-known food delivery app Meituan was also involved in the financing round. It is now one of the largest external investors with a stake of eight percent.
According to the Financial Times, HongShan points out that it does not invest in companies that support military purposes. But it is beyond its control if someone purchases Unitree’s products independently from third parties. According to the report, Unitree sells robot dogs that look similar to those used by the Chinese military on Amazon.
Unitree’s robot dogs first appeared in Shanghai in 2022. At the time, a local housing association used them by strapping a megaphone to their backs to make announcements to the city’s residents.