AI security

China is rapidly developing its military AI capabilities

China may lag behind the US military on metrics like the number of aircraft carriers it has, but it may be able to seize a “leapfrog opportunity” and invest in newer, cheaper weapons that could make carriers obsolete. That’s one conclusion in a new report about China’s well-funded, ambitious goal of becoming a world leader in AI technology.

Similar to how some countries never developed extensive landline infrastructure and instead skipped directly to building mobile phone networks, China is capitalizing on the opportunity to develop AI-based technology, including autonomous submarines that could confront hulking US carriers. At the same time, the United States could end up spending “too much to maintain and upgrade mature systems,’” according to one Chinese scholar quoted in the report by the Center for a New American Security (CNAS).

The United States, China, and Russia have all stressed the importance of AI-based military technologies and are making notable investments. China is investing tens of billions of dollars in AI development, according to the CNAS report, with the government viewing it as a key strategy to “protect national security.” Russian President Vladimir Putin famously said the leader in AI “will be the ruler of the world.” Meanwhile, the United State’s principle defense strategy document, published in 2018, stated that AI will allow the country to “fight and win the wars of the future.” In other words, the budding AI arms race is close to official policy in these countries.