Although it’s not completely ditching human security guards, Microsoft is letting five robots patrol its Silicon Valley campus in an experiment that has raised some eyebrows. Designed and marketed by California-based firm Knightscope, each robot weighs 300 pounds and stands 5 feet tall, and is equipped with various cameras and sensors that scan for signs of trouble.

The K5 robots can’t actually interact with people but it can sound off various alerts, from chimes to loud sirens. It also can’t give chase after bad guys but it can monitor license plate numbers and scan faces, according to Slate. The artificial intelligence machines use laser scanning and GPS navigation and are connected to Wi-Fi. The K5 batteries can last up to 24 hours.

Stacy Stephens, Knightscope’s co-founder and vice president of sales and marketing, told the MIT Tech Review that K5 robots are designed to work alongside human security guards – not replace them. The robots can do mundane security detail, leaving “strategic work” to their human counterparts.

ExtremeTech makes the case that “in the long run, this is cheaper and more efficient than a human security guard — plus, as technology improves, the K5 will probably be more vigilant and capable of spotting smaller discrepancies than a human.” However, the website also warns that Microsoft is showing “a rather shocking disregard for the long-term safety of human civilization.”