China set to release killer robots into battle ‘within two years’

CHINA is on course to deploy killer robots into battle within two years, it has been claimed.

The warning came as the Communist state revealed it had developed robotic dogs equipped with machine guns.

Defence analyst Francis Tusa said China was not hindered by fears over AI, which would see them come up with “new ship designs, new submarine designs, new fighter aircraft designs, at a rate which is dizzying.

“They are moving four or five times faster than the States.”

He said: “We’re at the start of a race in truly autonomous systems. I would be surprised if we don’t see autonomous machines coming out of China in two years.”

The robotic gun dog, made by Chinese firm Unitree Robotics, was unveiled last month during a military exercise with the Cambodian military.

Mr Tusa said being ahead of the West will appeal to the country’s leader Xi Jinping — and embolden Vladimir Putin.

He said: “For the Chinese, it’s the issue of have we beaten the Americans and the UK in getting a fully autonomous fighter aircraft

"There’s huge prestige. I think they’ll go all out on autonomy and harnessing AI and I think Russia will follow suit.”

The UK’s Ministry of Defence is also spending millions on developing AI-based weapons systems.

But it told declassifieduk.org that it “does not possess fully autonomous weapons and has no intention of developing them”.