As AI and cloud computing drive an unprecedented boom in data center construction, companies are turning to robot dogs to help secure and monitor sprawling facilities.
Robot Dogs Deployed For AI Data Center Security
Data center operators are experimenting with four-legged robots, roughly the size of large dogs, that can patrol fences, inspect equipment, and alert human staff to potential problems before they cause costly downtime, reported Business Insider on Monday.
“I was literally at a data center this week,” said Merry Frayne, senior director of product management at Boston Dynamics, maker of the Spot robot.
She added, “We’ve seen a huge, huge uptick in interest from data centers in the last year, I’d say, which is probably not surprising given the investment in that space.”
Boston Dynamics' Spot and Ghost Robotics' Vision 60 are being used to augment human guards rather than replace them.
"We know that the cost for a human guard is around $150,000," said Michael Subhan, chief growth officer at Ghost Robotics.
He added, "Instead of having two guards at $300,000, you can have one guard and a robot. And the robot obviously doesn't get sick or go on vacation."
Spot and Vision 60 robots can travel several miles on a single charge, monitoring both external perimeters and internal operations for leaks, thermal anomalies, and security breaches.
Some operators, like Novva Data Centers in Utah, deploy teams of Spots on pre-programmed missions to collect data and report unusual activity.
AI And Humanoid Robots Drive Global Robotics Race
At GTC 2026, Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ:NVDA) CEO Jensen Huang showcased a real-world AI-powered Olaf robot in partnership with Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS), capable of walking independently and interacting with its environment using Nvidia hardware and advanced simulations.
Last month, Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) CEO Elon Musk promoted the Optimus humanoid robot as a long-term value driver, priced at $20,000–$30,000, but prediction markets gave only a 21% chance of a 2026 launch, raising questions about revenue impact and potential stock effects.
In China, Unitree sold 23,700 robot dogs in 2024, providing valuable real-world data for humanoid robot development.
ARK Invest's Brett Winton noted that lower-priced quadrupeds gave China a data advantage over U.S. companies like Tesla, Figure AI, and Apptronik Inc.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock
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