Japan will study the use of humanoid robots for guarding bases and transporting cargo

According to the Japanese agency Kyodo News, the Japanese government intends to check whether humanoid robots can help the country’s Self-Defense Forces with rear-area tasks. This primarily concerns guarding bases and transporting cargo.

The plan calls for the use of so-called physical AI — a technology that equips robots with artificial intelligence and allows them to move autonomously. Their participation in combat operations is not being discussed; however, in the future the machines may also be used in reconnaissance and rescue operations.

The authorities plan to study the feasibility of military use of humanoid robots as part of a large-scale study. The Ministry of Defense believes that such systems could become an effective way to compensate for personnel shortages and take on some of the tasks.

The idea is linked to a shortage of personnel in Japan’s Self-Defense Forces: the ministry expects that the number of potential recruits will fall by almost a third, or about 30%, over the next twenty years. To develop solutions, the authorities want to involve private companies and universities so that they can present their robots in a competition.

The labor shortage problem affects not only defense. Back in mid-summer, the government announced that by 2040 it intends to deploy about 10 million AI robots and allocate up to 1 trillion yen, or $6 billion, to develop its own AI model; in the spring, Japan Airlines began an experiment using robots in service, and it is now using two robots made in China.

Sources

• Material: theins.ru