Key facts
- China is integrating AI into its military to enhance communication, electronic warfare, and combat capabilities.
- The country is pursuing an "AI Plus" strategy to implement AI in its military systems.
- President Xi Jinping believes AI is critical for China's global power status.
- The PLA is developing "intelligentized warfare" concepts, including human-AI command models and unmanned systems.
- China has demonstrated AI-assisted drones and decision-making systems, but the actual level of integration and autonomy is difficult to assess.
- Gaps remain in China's AI implementation, including a lack of real-world conflict testing for AI weapons and a shortfall in advanced semiconductor infrastructure compared to the US.
China is aggressively integrating artificial intelligence (AI) across its military, aiming to achieve global power status through advancements in communication, electronic warfare, and intelligent combat capabilities. This strategic push, termed the "AI Plus" initiative, seeks to leverage AI for tasks such as predicting drone jamming capabilities over long distances without satellite reliance and enabling instant communication between submerged submarines and drones.
President Xi Jinping has identified AI as pivotal for 21st-century global power, urging the People's Liberation Army (PLA) to develop "intelligentized warfare" and unmanned combat systems. This involves creating a human-AI command model where military commanders set objectives executed by AI systems acting as digital staff officers. However, the extent of AI integration and the level of autonomy in Chinese military systems remain difficult to ascertain due to a lack of reliable public information.
While China has showcased AI-assisted drones and decision-making systems, experts note that these technologies have not been tested in real conflict, relying instead on simulations. This inexperience, coupled with a significant gap in advanced semiconductor infrastructure compared to the United States, presents challenges. Despite these hurdles, China is reportedly exploring the use of large language models (LLMs) for operational support and decision-making, and is investing in AI-assisted training technologies like augmented and virtual reality.