http://www.atimes.com/article/china-in-race-to-overtake-the-us-in-ai-warfare/
Beijing is pushing hard· to integrate· artificial· intelligence· and autonomous· weapons – robotic arms capable of thinking and acting at the speed of light·
Earlier this month Chinese supreme leader· Xi Jinping met with senior military scientists as chairman of the all-powerful·Central Military Commission .
During the meeting , the Chinese leader· was photographed at the PLA Academy of Military Sciences shaking hands· with Major General Li Deyi , a leading authority· on artificial· intelligence· , or AI , and a key·figure· in the Chinese military’s effort· to overtake· the United States in the emerging field· of advanced weapons .
The meeting between Xi and the military experts garnered little· public attention· .
But within US intelligence· agencies closely monitoring rival China , the attention· given by Xi to Li was the latest· sign· of the growing importance· Beijing places on rapidly building autonomous·weapons – robotic arms capable of thinking and acting at the speed of light· .
The Chinese military quest for integrating AI into its tanks , naval forces and aircraft is the part· of China’s asymmetric or “assassin’s mace” warfare strategy· – building high-technology arms that will enable· China’s weaker forces to defeat· the more powerful· military of the United States in any future· conflict· .
Two years· ago Xi spoke to the Central Military Commission and called on it to move· ahead· with fusing advanced technologies like big· data , cloud· computing and AI for the Communist Party’s People’s Liberation Army .
PLA Lieutenant General Liu Guozhi, the director of China’s Science and Technology Commission, has said AI is fundamentally changing how militaries wage war.
Yang Wei , the former chief· designer for the Chengdu Aircraft Corp J- 20 stealth fighter· , said during a speech· on future· air· combat· last·year that China’s next-generation fighter· would utilize· AI to achieve·air· superiority .
“China’s breakthroughs in AI can be· expected to enable· future·unmanned combat· aircraft (UCAV) that are more responsive· than human-controlled aircraft , better able to counter· large· formations of enemy UCAVs , as well as enable· new energy· weapon-equipped space·combat· platforms that will have· to prevail· over US and other space·combat· systems , ” said Rick Fisher , a China military affairs expert· .
“China can also be· expected to use· AI to enable· very deep· sea unmanned underwater combat· vehicles (UUCVs) able to contest·control· over the ocean floor· , where China will want· to defend· very large· sensor grids of its Underwater Great Wall . ”
For China’s large· and varied missile· arsenal , AI has a future· as well . Wang Changqing , a Chinese weapons designer , said future· cruise missiles “will have· a very high· level· of AI and automation . They will allow· commanders to control· them in a real-time manner· , or to use·a fire-and-forget mode· , or even to add· more tasks to in-flight missiles . ”
China’s application· of AI to its growing cyber warfare capabilities also will increase· the danger· posed by cyber attacks and espionage .
“The implications of our adversaries’ abilities to use· AI are potentially profound· and broad , ” US Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats said in February . “They include· an increased vulnerability· to cyber attack· , difficulty· in ascertaining attribution , facilitation of advances in foreign· weapon· and intelligence· systems , the risk· of accidents and related liability· issues and unemployment . ”
China’s advanced AI-powered arms are among Beijing’s most closely guarded secrets . Little is known about how far along China’s military has developed these AI-powered weapons that include· autonomous·tanks and land· vehicles , submarines and surface· warships as well as bombers , fighters and drone· aircraft .
China recently demonstrated the use· of an unmanned tank· and showed off a swarm· of drone· aircraft as part· of its AI military program· .
Some elements of the AI drive· can be· gleaned from Chinese writings , although analysts warn· China is known to use· such public writings , especially on military affairs , to deceive· foreign· spy· services into misestimating its military programs .
One recent article· in the PLA’s official· newspaper· provided a wealth·of details on China’s AI warfare plans . AI warfare will be· conducted under the rubric· of “intelligent operations , ” the article’s authors , Shen Shoulin and Zhang Guoning , said .
“Intelligent operation· can be· understood from the core· concepts of ‘focusing on intelligence· supremacy , ubiquitous· AppCloud , multi-domain integration· , brain-machine fusion· , intelligent· autonomy , and unmanned combat’ , ” they stated .
China plans to attack· enemy perceptions , understanding and reasoning by “taking the cognitive initiative· and damaging· or interfering with the cognition· of the enemy based on the speed and quality· of the cognitive confrontation . ”
The drive· for battlefield “brain supremacy” will replace· earlier warfare concepts seeking military dominance· over land· , sea , air· and more recently space· and cyber domains , Shen and Zhang wrote .
Achieving supremacy over enemies in the information space· will be·decisive . “Once intelligence· supremacy is lost , supremacy of other spaces is meaningless , ” they said .
For the Chinese , winning in AI conflict· will require· defeating the stealth radar masking aircraft , ships , submarines and missiles and dominating enemy electronic warfare by imposing communications silence , using cyber attacks to take· over enemy networks and utilizing unbreakable secure· quantum communications .
According to Shen and Zhang , the goal· will be· to “make the opponent·unable· to perceive· , or perceive· garbage· information and false·information , and make· sure· its own side· can accurately and quickly perceive· the opponent· and the battlefield . ”
On the influence· front· , AI attacks will “disrupt and destroy” enemy morale and thinking “by interfering with brain· function· and affecting people’s ideology· , value· judgment· , psychological emotion· , and the like , ” they stated .
Information attacks will destroy· enemy information data processing hardware used by command· and control· systems and autonomous·weaponry .
Big Data will provide· the fuel· for Chinese intelligent· combat· through gathering masses· of information used in algorithm training , pattern·mining and optimization analysis· crunched by powerful· computers .
The combined elements will guide· military operations by producing intelligence· analyses and battle· plans for both troops and unmanned systems that will then conduct· rapid and accurate· attacks on targets .
The authors argue· that humans will remain· dominant in intelligent·warfare , but the melding of humans and machines will help·overcome· what the authors say· are brain· shortcomings such as fatigue , forgetfulness· and emotion· .
AI machines will not get· tired , forget· or have· moods and will reliably boost· both speed and high· accuracy· .
Commanders will continue· to make· high-level decisions and overall planning . Robot systems will be· used for memory· , calculation· and management· tasks based on masses· of data and their ability· to digest·data at high· speeds .
The Chinese believe· AI weaponry will learn· rapidly from the battlefield “like a human recruit· growing into a battle-hardened veteran , ” Shen and Zhang wrote .
A recent report· done for a US Congress commission· on China by the analytical firm Jane’s HIS Markit warns that China may well surpass·the United States in the field· of AI .
The report· argued that the Chinese military plans to use· AI for conducting Fifth Generation Warfare – emerging irregular· warfare “that is increasingly unconstrained in both the means used to attack·or influence· adversaries and the targets selected for attack· . ”
The new warfare concept· calls for combining traditional military power· with influence· and information operations ranging from cyber attacks and electromagnetic strikes combined with using influence·operations to attack· institutions , government· control· and military effectiveness· .
“Autonomous and swarmed unmanned vehicles have· the potential to , ” as one engineer who supported China Electronic Technology Group Corp’s June 2017 record-setting test· of a swarm· of 119 drones noted , “become a disruptive force· in military operations that will change· the rules of the game· , ” the Jane’s report· said .
Elsa B Kania , a researcher at the Center for New American Security , says China’s drive· for AI arms superiority poses a major security·challenge· .
“Looking forward , the PLA’s militarization· of AI will influence· the trajectory of this unfolding military revolution· , presenting a unique·strategic challenge· to the United States , ” Kania wrote in a recent paper· .
US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said the Pentagon is investing in advanced arms technologies to deal· with China , including advanced autonomous· systems and artificial· intelligence· .
“We will prioritize rebuilding readiness· while modernizing our existing force· , ” Mattis said in February .
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