China’s Humanoid Robots Are Learning to Fight. Developer Says Robot Soldiers Are Only 5 to 10 Years Away.

Humanoid robots are already sprinting faster than world records, throwing punches, lifting weights, and navigating obstacle courses. According to one Chinese robotics developer, putting those same machines on the battlefield may be only five to 10 years away.

The prediction comes as China is hosting the 2026 World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing, where more than 2,000 robots from over 600 teams representing 16 countries are competing in events designed to test speed, strength, balance and coordination, CBS News reported.

Robotics engineer Yang Kun, who works for Shanghai-based humanoid robot company AG BOT, told CBS News that developing robot soldiers is an eventual goal and estimated Chinese companies could be five to 10 years away from making them a reality.

"That's what we really want to do as we can make sure people in the world will not be attacked," Yang told CBS News. "We will use the robots to show the power of a country like China that will ensure no other country would attack. This will prevent war."

The games are taking place at the Beijing arena that served as the speedskating venue during the 2022 Winter Olympics. Inside, humanoid machines are competing in everything from kickboxing and gymnastics to soccer, long jump, weightlifting and running.

One robot delivered an especially attention-grabbing performance Sunday, completing the 100-meter sprint in 9.39 seconds, faster than Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt's 9.58-second world record set in 2009.

But the machines remain far from flawless. Robots at the competition have tripped, collapsed, crashed into safety barriers and even burst into flames. Still, several of the skills being tested in Beijing have obvious potential military applications. Running, climbing, navigating obstacles, carrying heavy loads and fighting are capabilities that could eventually be adapted for combat or logistical missions.

Yang's A3 robot competed in kickboxing at the games. He said the technology's more immediate applications could be considerably less threatening, including robots that work in hotels or perform household cleaning.

"In the future it can go to hotel(s), our house, to do some cleaning," Yang said, describing technology intended "to make daily life better."But he also acknowledged another destination for the machines.

Eventually, he said, robots could "do some combat, and go to the military, and do other things."Asked whether increasingly sophisticated robots could themselves become dangerous, Yang argued that the greater concern is the humans behind them.

"No, I don't think so. Robots don't have emotion, only humans," he said. "It all depends on who controls them and who makes them. "The World Humanoid Robot Games also serve a broader purpose for Beijing. China has made artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing and robotics strategic priorities as President Xi Jinping seeks to establish the country as a global science and technology leader.