AI-Generated Videos Falsely Show Chinese Military Robots in Combat Training

A series of convincing but fabricated videos showing humanoid robots conducting military training exercises in China has gone viral across social media platforms worldwide, sparking concern and confusion about advancements in Chinese military technology.

The most widely shared clip, a 48-second video featuring humanoid robots carrying machine guns and conducting tactical exercises against the backdrop of snow-capped mountains, has garnered millions of views across multiple languages. The robots, resembling the G1 model from Chinese company Unitree Robotics, are shown firing weapons, reloading magazines, and navigating obstacle courses with apparent military precision.

“China has released a video of shooting drills involving Terminator-like robots,” claimed one post on X that received 375,000 views. Another asserted that “China deployed 10,000+ robotic soldiers that will reduce the human cost if China-Taiwan war breakouts in 2027.”

A detailed analysis by DW Fact Check confirms these videos are sophisticated AI-generated fakes. Frame-by-frame examination revealed numerous inconsistencies typical of AI-created content that could not have occurred in normal video editing processes.

In one scene, a robot reloads a magazine that mysteriously disappears seconds later. In another, a human commander’s hand merges unnaturally with a radio device he’s holding. Background vehicles appear distorted and fused together. One robot passes through a stack of sandbags without actually stepping over them.

Philipp Cachee, a forensic ballistics expert consulted by DW, pointed to logical errors in the weapons handling. “There is no shell ejection in at least two places, and at 0:23, an empty magazine is loaded into the weapon,” he noted, concluding the footage is “almost certainly” AI-generated.

On Bilibili, a popular Chinese video platform where the footage also appeared, the content was clearly labeled as AI-generated. Despite reaching out, Unitree Robotics has not responded to questions about the viral content.

A second viral video showing similar humanoid robots alongside four-legged robots conducting operations in a ruined urban environment has also been confirmed as fake. This video was manipulated to include a modified logo of China’s state-run CCTV Military channel and nonsensical text meant to resemble news captions.

The rapid spread of these deceptive videos highlights growing concerns about AI’s ability to create convincing false narratives. While the videos gained traction in multiple languages including Arabic, French, Russian, Spanish, Turkish, Portuguese, Georgian, Vietnamese, and Korean, most posts shared them without any indication they were AI-generated, presenting them as authentic Chinese military demonstrations.

Unitree Robotics is a legitimate Chinese company specializing in four-legged and humanoid robots. Its website emphasizes civilian applications, and its social media regularly showcases its robots performing complex movements including dancing, martial arts, and traversing difficult terrain. The company recently drew attention when its robots performed an elaborate choreographed routine featuring somersaults and kung fu moves at a Chinese New Year celebration.

Although these particular videos are fake, China is indeed making strides in integrating robots into civic life, including security applications. State-run Chinese broadcaster CGTN reported last year that humanoid robots have begun patrolling alongside police officers in Shenzhen, while other major cities like Wuhan and Shanghai have deployed robots for traffic control.

As AI technology continues to advance, distinguishing between authentic and generated content becomes increasingly challenging, particularly when such content aligns with existing narratives about technological competition between global powers.