AI Soldiers Rising? Armed Humanoid Robots Appear on the Russia-Ukraine Battlefield

Source: IT Home

Recently, a piece of news about "armed humanoid robots appearing on the Russia-Ukraine battlefield" has sparked heated discussions on domestic online platforms. Are robotic soldiers really coming?

Upon inquiry, it was found that this news first originated from a report in the American magazine Time on March 10, titled "Rise of the AI Soldiers," introducing a humanoid robot called Phantom MK-1 produced by the San Francisco startup Foundation.

The Phantom MK-1 is entirely wrapped in a deep black steel shell, with a face covered by a tinted glass visor, evoking a sense of fear that far exceeds that of ordinary humanoid robots. In February of this year, it was tested while holding various high-firepower weapons: a handgun, a shotgun, and replicas of the M-16 rifle.

"We believe there is a moral necessity to deploy these types of robots in war instead of real soldiers," said Mike LeBlanc, co-founder of Foundation. This veteran, who has 14 years of service in the Marine Corps and has completed multiple missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, stated that their goal is to enable robots to "use any weapon that humans can use."

Now, Phantom is undergoing tests and claims it will be the world's first humanoid robot specifically developed for defense applications. The company has already signed research contracts totaling $24 million (Note: approximately 166 million yuan at current exchange rates) with the U.S. Army, Navy, and Air Force, making it an approved military supplier.

In addition, the company plans to collaborate with the Marine Corps on "methods of entry" courses to conduct tests, training Phantom to place explosives on doors to help troops breach target areas more safely.

The report also mentioned that in February, two Phantom humanoid robots were sent to the Russia-Ukraine battlefield — initially for frontline reconnaissance support. The company stated that the Pentagon requires automated systems not to attack without human approval, which is also the design intention of the company.

"This is a dangerous road," said Jennifer Kavanagh, military analysis director at the Washington-based Strategic Research Center Defense Priorities. "The temptation to automate things and remove human control is immense. A lack of transparency between opposing sides in any conflict raises more concerns."

For LeBlanc, co-founder of Foundation, who has performed over 300 combat missions for the U.S. Marine Corps, the situation he observed after sending the Phantom robots to the Russia-Ukraine battlefield was "very shocking." He stated, "This is a war entirely conducted by robots, with robots as the main combat force, while humans provide support. This is the complete opposite of my experience in Afghanistan, where humans were the majority, and we only had auxiliary tools."

The Phantom MK-1, which debuted in October last year, stands 180 centimeters tall, weighs 80 kilograms, can carry 20 kilograms of cargo or equipment, and moves at a speed of 6 kilometers per hour, equivalent to the walking speed of human infantry. Equipped with electric drive actuators, it can move its arms and hands and uses multiple cameras on its torso to detect visible light and observe surrounding objects or personnel. It is also equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) that can quickly assess battlefield environments and make autonomous decisions, such as determining movement direction.

Foundation is accelerating the development of military humanoid robots, aiming to produce up to 50,000 units by the end of 2027. The company plans to deploy dozens of them this year and expand annual production to thousands. These robots will be leased rather than sold, with an estimated leasing price of around $100,000 per unit per year (approximately 691,000 yuan at current exchange rates).