A promotional video by the Polish Navy featuring the humanoid robot Edward Warchocki has raised questions about the rules governing the admission of commercial devices to secure military facilities. According to CyberDefence24, the robot appeared at the Naval Port in Świnoujście, and the video was subsequently removed. Edward uses the Chinese Unitree G1 platform, although its software was developed by Polish developers.
The matter is significant because, in June 2026, the Pentagon added Unitree Robotics to the 1260H list, which includes companies designated by the US Department of Defence as Chinese military entities. This is not proof that the robot in Świnoujście was engaged in espionage. The problem, however, lies in the possibility of data being collected by cameras, microphones and other sensors, and in the way this data is processed and transmitted.
The controversy is heightened by the fact that the Polish Armed Forces had previously restricted the entry of Chinese vehicles onto military premises precisely because of the risks associated with sensors and data transmission. CyberDefence24 also draws attention to a report by the Internal Security Agency (ABW) concerning the activities of Chinese intelligence and the use of companies to further its objectives.
The implications therefore go beyond a single promotional piece. As robotics, drones and AI-powered devices become more widespread, security increasingly requires scrutiny of the entire technology chain: hardware, software and cloud services. For the military, the incident may mean stricter procedures for authorising devices to enter bases, whilst for technology companies it may mean additional audits of the origin of components and data flows.
