Overview

• On July 10, the PLA Daily urged urgent ethical and legal research to govern the battlefield use of humanoid robots
• The analysis cautioned that normalized deployment could produce indiscriminate killings and accidental civilian or friendly casualties
• Authors Yuan Yi, Ma Ye and Yue Shiguang argued that combat robots violate Asimov’s First Law, underscoring novel ethical dilemmas
• The report highlighted humanoid robots’ mechanical arms and adaptability as assets for tasks beyond current unmanned systems but said they would complement, not replace, existing platforms
• Domestic tech firms have unveiled versatile humanoid prototypes this year, intensifying debates over cost, complexity and strategic integration