Republican lawmakers are sounding the alarm about the latest threat from China. An AI robot dog carrying a rifle.
Chinese state media video. Screenshots from Military Timesshowed Cambodian troops showing off a rifle-toting dog-like robot during joint training in the country.
According to the media, the AI dog weighs 110 pounds and can carry and fire an automatic rifle autonomously.
While drone warfare is not a new concept, some believe the rise of these new armed robots should raise concerns in the US.
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Visitors view a combat robot dog during the 9th China (Beijing) Military Intelligence Technology Expo at the China National Convention Center in Beijing. (Guo Haipeng/VCG via Getty Images)
Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.) told Fox News Digital that advanced AI is the next major economic and military frontier for both the US and adversaries like China.
One of the 18 amendments he authored and successfully passed through the House National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) drew attention to a potentially game-changing threat.
Buchanan’s bill added a provision directing the Secretary of Defense to report on the threat of China’s use of AI in the military, including robotic dogs, and on national security threats to the United States.
“If we don’t pay attention to what the rest of the world is doing in the AI space, we risk losing our standing on the international stage and our status as one of the world’s leading fighting powers,” Buchanan said.
“Anyone who claims China will only use these for purely peaceful purposes is missing the point.”
The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but the May report said: WarzoneMarine Corps Special Forces Operations Command (MARSOC) currently has two similar quadrupedal robots it uses for border security at unspecified locations.
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Gen. Mao Sophan, deputy commander-in-chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces and commander-in-chief of the Land Forces, inspected drones and robotic combat dogs equipped with machine guns displayed in front of Chinese soldiers at the Gendarmerie base in Kampong Chhnang province. (Tan Chin SosiTan Chin Sosi/AFP via Getty)
Buchanan said the United States had tested similar robotic dogs in the past, but he was concerned that China would arm a robotic dog and show it off in military exercises.
“[This] “Everybody has to take notice and make sure our military is always one step ahead of them,” he said.
Asked whether the Democratic-led Senate might remove the provision from a final compromise draft bill, Buchanan said he had no reason to believe so.
He suggested that as a matter of national security, “common sense” reporting requirements should be off the table.
“We have received a lot of positive feedback on the amendments. The fact that they were passed without a single objection from either party in Parliament should say all that is needed,” he added.
Mike Pence, then a Republican congressman from Indiana, listens to a speech by Republican congressman Vern Buchanan of Florida. (Getty)
Buchanan said he was the sole author of the NDAA amendment, but that many other lawmakers are also very concerned about AI-related threats from China and other adversaries.
Asked about the robot dogs and the reporting amendment, Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Alabama, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee and lead sponsor of the NDAA, suggested such concerns were valid.
“If we want to stay ahead of China, it’s essential that we prioritize innovation,” Rogers said.
“The Fiscal Year 25 NDAA will continue to invest in transformative emerging technologies like AI to ensure our military remains the most capable and lethal in the world.”
The NDAA bill passed the House of Representatives by a near party-line majority of 217 to 199, and the Senate is expected to begin debate on the NDAA in the near future.
