China’s AI Arsenal | Foreign Affairs

The China’s Victory Day parade in 2025 showcased next-generation autonomous weapons systems indicating the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) plan to leverage emerging technologies to gain battlefield advantage.
China has carried out multiple phases of military modernization focused on mechanization, informatization and now intelligentization utilizing artificial intelligence to automate operations and decision-making.
Procurement documents reveal China’s ambition to integrate AI into its military across domains to counter US advantages in computing, talent and experience.
Both China and the US are developing similar AI technologies for uncrewed vehicles, computer vision and predictive maintenance, indicating a potential technological arms race.
China aims to use AI as an alternative to inexperienced officers, but overreliance on AI could lead to misinterpretations and poor military decisions.
The PLA’s rapid experimentation may help narrow the gap with US military AI, spurring Washington to reform its slow acquisition process.
Greater education, training, cybersecurity and standards are needed to safely adopt AI in the US military while also prioritizing information warfare detection and research.
China’s ambitious AI programs may heighten risks of miscalculation and misrepresentation that threaten both civilians and militaries, requiring smart partnerships and diplomacy.