You Know The Robot Invasion Is Real When Mine-Sniffing Dolphins Start Losing Their Jobs

K-Dog, a U.S. Navy trained dolphin [image credit: U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Brien Aho]

If you've lost a job to automation, take heart -- it's more than just humans who are getting muscled out by robots. UT San Diego recently reported that in the next five years, the Navy will be phasing out dolphins from its mine-sniffing operations and replacing them with unmanned underwater vehicles, likely similar to the Seafox drones that were recently deployed to the Strait of Hormuz.

Currently, the plan is to use Knifefish robots. They're 20-foot long, torpedo-shaped vehicles that can operate for up to 16 hours and developed by General Dynamics.

The $28 million Navy Marine Mammal Program located at Point Loma, which is over 50 years old, currently employs 80 bottlenose dolphins and 40 California sea lions. The dolphins have been used because their sonar ability allows them to detect mines in shallow or deep waters and serve as harbor protection, while sea lions are used to find underwater swimmers and objects and tether them to the boat. The program once included sharks and killer whales as well.

The recent announcement affects only 24 of the dolphins who are tasked with detecting mines. They'll be reassigned to do what dolphins can still do better than robots: search seafloors for bombs masked by plant growth and sediment.