China has built the world's first unmanned vessel that is controlled by artificial intelligence and capable of independently launching air, surface and underwater drones. According to the South China Morning Post, the vessel is officially a research vessel and is operated by the Southern Marine Science and Engineering Laboratory of Guangdong Province.

The Zhuhaiyun vessel is capable of navigating autonomously in the open ocean and performing tasks without human intervention. However, if necessary, the operator can take control.

According to the owners, successful testing of the vessel and a drone test run took place last week, with the vessel showing for 12 hours that it can navigate around obstacles and plot a route on its own.

The vessel can use satellite data and its own autonomous vehicles to navigate.

Once operational, the vessel is expected to be used for surveys, including ocean mapping, as well as patrols and water sample analysis.

The vessel is 88.5 m long, 14 m wide, and has a displacement of 2,100 tons. Its average speed is 13 knots (24 km/h) and maximum speed is 18 knots (33 km/h).