China stronger with artificial intelligence. The report that alarms the United States
Beijing continues to strengthen its military by focusing on new technologies. The hypersonic missile test is only the tip of the iceberg.
Hypersonic missiles, electromagnetic weapons, underwater drones. And above all, artificial intelligence. China continues to build up its military . And it does so by focusing on technology and innovation, areas in which Beijing has long excelled. In some sectors, notably artificial intelligence, it has already overtaken Washington. Ironically, it also sometimes does so with indirect assistance from the United States itself, including using equipment imported by American companies. Technological decoupling is not there: China and the United States are still much more intertwined than we think. In other words, China and the United States are still much more closely linked than we think, so much so that Chinese military modernization is sometimes made from American components.
As mentioned, the area where China is making great strides is artificial intelligence. The Chinese People’s Liberation Army is developing its capabilities using artificial intelligence. A detailed report from the Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET) shows how what might have been considered science fiction a decade ago is becoming a reality, with new and innovative applications of AI in the army. The report examined 343 contracts for AI-related equipment, which are part of a larger sample of more than 66,000 purchase transactions published by People’s Liberation Army units and state-owned enterprises. defense in 2020.
Artificial Intelligence: How is China strengthening its army?
The report identifies key suppliers to the defense IT industry, highlights gaps in U.S. export control policies, and places Chinese military IT investments in the context of the broader defense IT strategy. China to compete with the United States. The report’s findings set off some alarm bells at the Pentagon. Chinese military leaders are already buying AI-related systems and equipment to prepare for “smart” warfare, spending more than $1.6 billion each year on AI-related systems and equipment. For now, according to the report, the military seems to be using these technologies especially for intelligence analysis and predictive maintenance.
Beijing’s military hopes to use artificial intelligence to generate asymmetric advantages over the United States. The focus is on building and developing autonomous vehicles and maritime surveillance systems, an area in which Washington has historically had great strategic and military advantage. At the end of July, for example, an underwater drone capable of maintaining high speed even underwater was developed. During a 90-second test flight, the 1.5-kilo drone remained intact after being submerged in and out of water seven times.
China is also betting heavily on the famous civil-military fusion, which allows Beijing to acquire technologies useful for its development in this sector. And, beware, only 273 equipment suppliers identified by the study are included in the US sanctions and surveillance regimes. The Pentagon is watching the situation carefully, also given recent developments regarding the launch of the hypersonic missile over the summer. In recent weeks, however, an unmanned aircraft was shot down by a powerful electromagnetic pulse while hovering around 1,500 meters above sea level, in an experiment conducted by the China Electronics Technology Group. . According to the South China Morning Post,Chinese scientists are working on the creation of an 80 gigawatt electromagnetic weapon.
The field of artificial intelligence is considered crucial. “China has already won the battle for artificial intelligence and in 15 to 20 years we will have no chance to compete,” said Nicolas Chaillan, the Pentagon’s software chief who recently resigned, a few weeks ago. to protest against the slow technological transformation of the US military. Beijing is getting stronger, even at the military level.
