China has developed its first AI-powered robot lifeguard to keep a 24-hour watch over a river.

Researchers tested the unmanned, floating autonomous vehicle in Henan, China, on October 25.

Footage shows the small, agile device moving toward a person in the water, signalling a nearby robot boat to retrieve the drowning swimmer.

The team from the Hefei Institute of Physical Sciences said that the robot operates autonomously, using artificial intelligence, data analysis, navigation, and tracking technologies without human controls or commands.

Several countries currently use automated lifeguards. However, Communist China is in a tech 'arms race' with the free West, including Elon Musk in Texas, for the development of robots.

The rivalry between Musk and companies in China is rooted in the broader competition for leadership in artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, and automation, fields crucial to the future of manufacturing, consumer technology, and space exploration.

Both Musk and several Chinese tech giants are vying to shape these industries.

Last month, a robot shark was used in a zoo aquarium at the newly opened Xiaomeisha Ocean World in Shenzhen, Guangdong.

But visitors were unhappy with the makeshift marine creature. The park, which had just opened on October 1, faced backlash for high ticket prices - around 240 yuan (approximately 25.91 GBP) for adults - along with long queues and poor conditions for marine life.

These issues led to a low rating of just 2.9 out of 5 stars on a popular review platform.