Tag: robots

As Hegseth Touts Autonomous Warfare Command, Human Rights Expert Pushes Civilian Protections

As the US military accelerates its adoption of autonomous weapons systems amid a growing global artificial intelligence arms race, one expert told Common Dreams on Wednesday that “greater action needs to be taken urgently” to protect civilians and ensure meaningful human control over rapidly developing technologies.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told congressional lawmakers Wednesday during a House Armed Services Committee hearing on the proposed $1.5 trillion Pentagon budget for 2027 that the military will soon have a new “sub-unified command” dedicated to autonomous warfare.

Hegseth, who advocates “maximum lethality” for US forces, has expressed disdain for what he called “stupid rules of engagement” designed to minimize civilian harm. He has overseen the dismantling of efforts meant to mitigate wartime harm to civilians – hundreds of thousands of whom have been killed in US-led wars during this century, according to experts.

This “maximum lethality” ethos, combined with AI-powered systems allowing for exponentially faster and more numerous target selection, has raised concerns that have been underscored by actions including Israel Defense Forces massacres in Gaza and Lebanon, and US attacks like the cruise missile strike on a school in Iran that killed 155 children and staff.

“A sole focus on achieving maximum lethality is inherently incompatible with civilian protection,” Verity Coyle, deputy director of Human Rights Watch’s (HRW) crisis, conflict, and arms division, told Common Dreams. “If the United States truly seeks to protect civilians, it should forgo this limited focus and ensure it has guardrails in place that assess the proportionality of its actions and guarantee a distinction between civilians and combatants.”

“Under international humanitarian law, civilian protection requires that military actions abide by the principles of distinction and proportionality,” Coyle noted. “In other words, military actors must distinguish between civilians and combatants and ensure that the resulting harm to civilians from their actions would not be excessive in comparison to the perceived military gain.”

Experts on lethal autonomous weapons systems – commonly called “killer robots” – stress the need for meaningful human control. However, with industry-backed efforts afoot to ban state and local governments from placing guardrails on AI development, retaining such control could become increasingly difficult as the technology advances.

“The lack of serious guardrails… shows a troubling lack of concern for these real and immediate risks to civilians both in the United States and abroad,” Coyle said. “While we have seen some Congress members and state legislators express concern over these developments, greater action needs to be taken urgently.”

Asked about the “if we don’t build it, they will” mentality of many US proponents of unchecked AI development that is reminiscent of the Cold War nuclear arms race, Coyle said the United States is ignoring its “ability to set the global agenda and international humanitarian law norms.”

“As we see greater integration of AI in the military domain and resulting civilian harm, we need strong international leadership to respond to these threats, not states relinquishing their responsibilities,” she asserted.

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California Approves Rules Allowing Automakers to Test, Deploy Heavy-Duty Autonomous Vehicles

The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) on April 28 approved new regulations that would allow autonomous vehicle (AV) makers to test and deploy heavy-duty AV technology on California roadways.

The California DMV said manufacturers are required to test their vehicles with a safety driver, then progress to driverless testing, before they can apply for deployment on state roads.

Manufacturers must complete 50,000 miles of testing at each phase for light-duty vehicles and 500,000 miles for heavy-duty AVs and provide “a structured safety case” showing the safety of vehicle hardware, software, and operations in order to obtain a permit, according to the DMV.

The new rules would also expand safety and oversight requirements for all classes of AVs, allowing law enforcement agencies to cite companies for moving violations committed by their vehicles.

Under the regulations, companies operating AVs must respond to first-responder calls within 30 seconds, and local emergency officials will have the authority to issue “electronic geofencing directives” requiring autonomous vehicles to leave active emergency zones.

“California continues to lead the nation in the development and adoption of AV technology, and these updated regulations further demonstrate the state’s commitment to public safety,” DMV Director Steve Gordon said.

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Ukrainian Forces Say They Captured Russian Positions With Drones And Robots – Terminator Is Here?

In a significant milestone for unmanned warfare, Ukrainian forces have for the first time seized a Russian position exclusively with drones and unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs), without deploying any infantry or sustaining casualties, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Monday.

“For the first time in the history of this war, an enemy position was taken exclusively by unmanned platforms—UGVs and drones. The occupiers surrendered, and this operation was carried out without the participation of infantry and without losses on our side,” Zelenskyy said in a statement.

The president hailed the operation as a breakthrough in modern combat tactics, emphasizing Ukraine’s accelerating shift toward high-technology systems to minimize risks to troops. He noted that various robotic platforms—including the Ratel, Termit, Ardal, Lynx, Snake, Protector, and Volya—have conducted more than 22,000 missions in the past three months alone, often venturing into the most hazardous areas in place of soldiers, reported SOFX.

“Lives were saved more than 22,000 times—a robot went into the most dangerous areas instead of a soldier. This is about high technologies in defense of the highest value—human life,” Zelenskyy added.

Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense has reported a dramatic surge in UGV deployments on the front lines. In March 2026, the systems completed more than 9,000 missions, up sharply from roughly 2,900 in November 2025. Across the first three months of 2026, UGVs carried out approximately 24,500 missions in total. The number of units actively employing the technology has also grown significantly, rising to 167 from 67 the previous year.

The latest success builds on earlier demonstrations of unmanned systems in combat and support roles. In June 2025, Ukrainian forces used the Ardal UGV to evacuate wounded personnel from forward positions. Unmanned platforms have also assisted in rescuing captured Ukrainian soldiers with drone support and have been deployed in non-combat humanitarian efforts.

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“Muthaf***in’ Robot Dog In The Muthaf***in’ Hood”

Residents in Atlanta are staring down robot dogs patrolling their own apartment parking lots — with live foreign operators apparently calling the shots through the machines.

Another viral video posted to X captures the raw street-level reaction as locals confront one of the mechanical units.

The operator responds in real time, and the accent leaves little doubt about the location of the person on the other end of the feed.

The post continues… “There are plenty of videos of these dogs calling the police on people, so that means someone sitting in India is patrolling our streets and calling the police on Americans. These robotic dogs are equipped with 360° cameras, thermal imaging, headlights, sirens, speakers, and sensors. Despite this they are not fully autonomous, they typically have a live human operator monitoring the feed remotely”

Another of these droids was seen recently giving commands to Americans in Atlanta. Even when citizens complied peacefully, the bot issued orders and summon real police — all while the eyes and ears behind the machines sit overseas.

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Here We Go…Ground Robots Could Replace One-Third Of Ukrainian Troops On Front Line

Ground robotic systems have the potential to replace as much as one-third of Ukrainian infantry troops operating on the line of contact, according to a senior Ukrainian military commander.

Andrii Biletsky, commander of Ukraine’s 3rd Army Corps, told Militarnyi in an interview published March 21 that expanding the use of unmanned ground platforms could significantly ease the burden on frontline soldiers as the battlefield grows increasingly hostile to human movement and resupply.

Biletsky, who has previously described ground robotic systems as a looming “revolution” on the battlefield, pointed to the challenges posed by dense drone surveillance and heavily contested logistics lines. Constant observation by both enemy and Ukrainian drones has made traditional troop movements and supply deliveries exceptionally dangerous and difficult to sustain, writes United24Media.

“We will replace a third of soldiers with robots,” Biletsky declared in the interview.

He argued that robotic platforms could take over a substantial portion of both combat and logistics roles, allowing Ukrainian units to maintain operations under persistent aerial scrutiny while reducing risks to personnel.

The vision outlined by Biletsky is already materializing across the front. According to Ukrainian military data, forces conducted more than 7,000 ground robot missions in a single recent month. The vast majority of these deployments involved delivering supplies and equipment to exposed forward positions, enabling troops to minimize their exposure in high-risk areas while keeping essential logistics flowing.

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China Unleashes Machine Gun-Toting Robot Wolves With “Collective Brain”

China has released the first footage of its “robot wolves” storming through simulated urban combat, armed with machine guns and upgraded for real battlefield carnage.

These aren’t cute Boston Dynamics knockoffs anymore – they’re pack-hunting death machines designed by an institute with deep People’s Liberation Army ties, and they’re getting deadlier by the day.

As noted in a viral post that has racked up over two million views, the footage shows the wolves operating in coordinated swarms during street battle drills.

The system comes from the Southwest Automation Institute. Developers call it “100% indigenously designed and 100% domestically produced.” A non-military version is even listed for civilian sale on JD.com for $73,500 – though how closely it matches the PLA-grade model remains unclear.

The Southwest Automation Institute’s own follow-up analysis even admits the counterintuitive reality of this new warfare: “on tomorrow’s battlefields, war robots may not be the ultimate killing machines—they could actually reduce casualties. They spare human troops the need to storm positions directly, pushing more engagements into ‘drone v.s. robot’ territory. And unlike two groups of soldiers grinding each other down in brutal close-quarters fighting, troops facing robots know the machines cannot be outfought. A handful of robots can clear and secure an entire street in minutes. The clash ends fast, and both sides bleed far less.”

But the post quickly adds the chilling caveat: “The real battlefield is far more complex than any training exercise. The ultimate test for these Machine Wolves will be whether they can reliably distinguish friendly troops from enemy forces—and, most critically, identify civilians who suddenly appear in the chaos.”

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U.S. Tech Firms Demand Security Restrictions Against Chinese Robots

American A.I. and robotics companies are reportedly asking Congress to impose curbs on Chinese robotics manufacturers, due to their unfair business practices and the security risks they pose, Chinese media complained this week.

Interestingly, these concerns are particularly acute for humanoid robots, not the bulky industrial machines traditionally associated with the robotics industry.

Humanoid robots, the stuff of countless science fiction stories, are finally happening, and witnesses told the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection Subcommittee of the House Homeland Security Committee on Tuesday that China has developed a troubling lead in the new consumer technology.

Max Fenkell of the San Francisco-based company Scale AI highlighted a viral video from China’s Unitree Robotics that showed humanoid robots performing acrobatics and martial arts at a Lunar New Year celebration.

“The video went viral, not because it was impressive, but because of what happened when people compared it to last year, 12 months ago – the same robots could barely shuffle through a dance routine. This year, they’re doing karate. That is the speed of this competition,” Fenkell noted.

Fenkell said winning the humanoid robot race “requires a whole-of-government approach” to compete with China’s massive deployment of government funding and state power to support its robotics industry. He noted that American companies currently have the edge on quality of components and engineering, but China has taken the lead on implementing small-robot technology in practical ways.

“We’re seeing two different races play out and I fear right now the United States may be winning the wrong one,” he cautioned.

“The People’s Republic of China is moving aggressively to dominate the technologies that are reshaping the global economy and security, including artificial intelligence, robotics, and autonomous systems,” said subcommittee member Rep. Vince Fong (R-CA) in his opening statement.

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‘Pokémon Go’ Players Unknowingly Contributed 30 Billion Images to Train Delivery Robots

Nearly a decade after Pokémon Go transformed the real world into an augmented reality playground, the data collected from hundreds of millions of players is being repurposed to help autonomous delivery robots navigate city streets.

Popular Science reports that Niantic Spatial, part of the team behind the popular augmented reality game Pokémon Go, has announced a partnership with Coco Robotics, a company specializing in short-distance delivery robots for food and groceries. The collaboration will utilize Niantic’s Visual Positioning System, a navigation technology trained on more than 30 billion images captured by Pokémon Go users over the years, to help delivery robots navigate sidewalks and urban environments with unprecedented precision.

The Visual Positioning System can reportedly pinpoint location down to a few centimeters by analyzing nearby buildings and landmarks, offering a significant improvement over traditional GPS technology. This crowdsourced mapping effort represents one of the largest real-world data collection projects ever undertaken through a mobile gaming application, and demonstrates how user-generated content can be repurposed years after its initial collection.

“It turns out that getting Pikachu to realistically run around and getting Coco’s robot to safely and accurately move through the world is actually the same problem,” Niantic Spatial CEO John Hanke said in a recent interview with MIT Technology Review.

When Pokémon Go launched in 2016, it became a cultural phenomenon, attracting approximately 230 million monthly active players at its peak. The game prompted players to physically travel to specific locations and point their phone cameras at various angles while searching for virtual creatures superimposed onto real-world environments. While the game’s popularity has declined since its heyday, it still maintains around 50 million active users by some estimates.

The data collection effort received a significant boost in 2020 when Niantic added a feature called Field Research, which incentivized players to scan real-world statues and landmarks with their cameras in exchange for in-game rewards. Additional data reportedly came from areas designated as Pokémon battle arenas. These scans created detailed 3D models of the real world, capturing the same locations across varying weather conditions, lighting scenarios, angles, and heights.

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First ‘Robot Arrest’ Takes Place in China After Droid Harasses Elderly Woman in the Streets

Is technology ‘breaking bad’?

Around a month ago, the world was faced with a stunning display of Chinese art and robotics, as a team of droids danced and performed flawless Kung Fu moves in perfect sync during the Lunar New Year celebrations.

But last week, a much less flattering portrait of the new technology was broadcast to the world, as an incident in the streets of the Chinese city of Macau ended with what is arguably the first android ‘arrest’.

The New York Post reported:

“The surreal incident occurred last week in the city of Macau, with the startled 70-year-old ending up in the hospital following her encounter with the 4-foot 4-inch bot.

Two cops escorted the humanoid bot off the busy street. They reportedly reprimanded the man who was operating the android remotely.”

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Singularity Update: You Have No Idea How Crazy Humanoid Robots Have Gotten

I just spent the afternoon at Figure headquarters in San Jose with Brett Adcock and David Blundin, and I’m still processing what I saw.

We’re not talking about concept robots. We’re talking about fully autonomous humanoid robots running neural networks end-to-end, doing kitchen work, unloading dishwashers, organizing packages – for hours at a time, with no human intervention.

Today? Figure’s robots are doing 67 consecutive hours of autonomous work. One error in 67 hours. That’s not a demo. That’s a product.

And here’s what most people don’t understand: the gap between “doing one task really well” and “doing every task a human can do” is collapsing at exponential speeds.

Let me explain why…

NOTE: Brett has been a past Faculty Member at my Abundance Summit, where leaders like him share insights years before the mainstream catches on. In-person seats for the 2026 Summit next month are nearly sold out. Learn more and apply.

The Death of C++ and the Rise of the Neural Net

When I first visited Figure, they had several hundred thousand lines of C++ code controlling the robots. Handwritten. Expensive. Brittle.

Every new behavior required engineers to anticipate edge cases, write more code, test it, debug it. It was the software equivalent of teaching a toddler to walk by writing an instruction manual.

In the last year, Figure deleted 109,000 lines of C++ code.

All of it. Gone.

What replaced it? A single neural network that controls the entire robot: hands, arms, torso, legs, feet. Full-body coordination. Real-time planning. Dynamic response to unexpected situations.

This is Helix 2, their latest AI model, and it’s a fundamentally different approach to robotics.

Here’s why this matters: neural nets learn from experience, not instructions.

You don’t code a robot to “grab a cup.” You show it thousands of examples of grasping objects—different shapes, weights, materials—and the neural net extracts the underlying patterns. It learns what “grasping” is at a representational level.

And once it understands grasping? It can generalize to objects it’s never seen before.

Brett put it simply: “If you can teleoperate the robot to do a task, you can train the neural net to learn it.”

That’s the unlock. If the hardware is capable—if the motors, sensors, and joints can physically perform the movement—then the AI can learn it from data.

Compare that to traditional robotics, where you’d need to write thousands of lines of code for every single new task. That approach doesn’t scale. Neural nets do.

The implication: Every robot in the fleet learns from every other robot’s experience. When one Figure robot masters folding laundry, every Figure robot on the planet instantly knows how to fold laundry.

Humans don’t work like this. Robots do.

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