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Summary

China is accelerating its integration of artificial intelligence into its military to build a combat force that relies on autonomous systems, algorithmic decision-making, and information warfare, in an effort to undermine U.S. military superiority. With the acceleration of experiments and military adoption, the competition between Beijing and Washington is heading toward a decisive technological race that could reshape future wars.

At China's military parade for Victory Day in September 2025, the spotlight was not on soldiers or tanks, but on the advanced weapons systems unveiled. Unmanned ground vehicles, naval and aerial drones, and collaborative combat aircraft—autonomous planes flying alongside manned aircraft to support missions—were presented as key components of China's future combat force. The display of these systems sent a clear message about how the People's Liberation Army seeks to harness emerging technologies to enhance its battlefield superiority. From Washington's perspective, the parade underscored Beijing's ambition to undermine U.S. technological superiority.

China says its long-term military modernization program will go through three overlapping phases: mechanization, i.e., adopting modern machinery and equipment; then informatization, i.e., integrating advanced information technologies and cyber networks to link military platforms and enable real-time information exchange; and then 'intelligentization,' i.e., applying AI technologies to automate processes and support decision-making. Beijing has made significant progress in the first two phases so far, as mechanization provided the Chinese military with the ships, tanks, and aircraft it lacked, while informatization connected these platforms and sensors through digital data and communications networks.

As part of our research at the Center for Security and Emerging Technology at Georgetown University, we studied thousands of military procurement requests published by the People's Liberation Army over the past three years. These documents show that China is pushing hard toward the third phase of modernization. The breadth of AI integration efforts in the Chinese military and the speed of its experiments are striking. The military is developing AI-powered capabilities to drive unmanned combat vehicles, detect and counter cyberattacks, track ships at sea, and identify and strike targets on land, at sea, and in space. It is also developing systems that process, analyze, and amplify massive amounts of data to enhance tactical and strategic decisions, alongside tools for creating deepfake images and videos for use in disinformation campaigns.

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In short, the People's Liberation Army is building an integrated system for rapid AI development that links new research with direct operational applications. In contrast, the United States has declared that the AI company 'Anthropic' poses a supply chain risk, thereby barring one of the leading advanced AI companies from supporting the U.S. government. The U.S. military still holds a decisive advantage in computing power, technical expertise, and operational experience, but to maintain its lead over Beijing, Washington will need to carefully manage these advantages, accelerate the pace of experiments, and most importantly, scale up the AI systems that give it battlefield superiority.

Smart Thinking

Just as mechanization changed the nature of war during World War II, Chinese strategists believe that AI will lead a new revolution in military affairs. They think future wars will turn into confrontations between 'interconnected systems,' where armies target the vital nodes of their adversaries' entangled systems. Victory will depend on the PLA's ability to weaken or paralyze enemy command and control centers, as well as strike supply hubs and offensive capabilities. AI enables this vision because it helps operators detect and target systemic vulnerabilities and enhances the speed and efficiency of military decision-making. Accordingly, Beijing believes that the military that develops and adopts AI best will have the greatest advantage in future wars.

In some areas, the PLA's AI ambitions have long been clear. Chinese leaders have repeatedly stressed the importance of 'intelligentization,' while state media publish enthusiastic updates about unmanned or autonomous aerial, ground, and underwater vehicles. Although these reports may exaggerate the capabilities of these systems, our analyses show that the Chinese military is indeed making tangible progress. It is developing swarms of drones capable of detecting, tracking, and coordinating attacks on the enemy. It is asking defense companies and researchers to develop various robotic platforms, including hardware and software for 'robot dogs' and humanoid robots.

Procurement documents reveal Beijing's growing interest in AI technologies that help accelerate decision-making. China's political and military leaders do not trust the current military chain of command and fear it would be unable to cope in a rapidly evolving conflict. AI-based decision support systems can help them understand and predict enemy movements, potentially allowing them to compensate for their lack of field combat experience.

China aims to develop AI to achieve military superiority over the United States

The Chinese military's AI tests extend to cyber and information operations. It is developing AI-powered tools to automatically detect intrusions within its computer networks, enhance the resilience of its military communications, and expand its cyber operations capabilities. China also prioritizes the development of 'cognitive warfare' technologies, as several documents reveal requests for deepfake technologies, where the military sees AI-generated images, videos, and audio as highly effective tools for shaping public opinion and manipulating adversary perception and decisions during conflict. Concurrently, Chinese officers and soldiers use AI-powered systems to simulate virtual battlefields and model enemy behavior, strengthening their preparedness for future wars.

The Chinese military applies AI to curb U.S. superiority in space and at sea. It is openly seeking to develop algorithms for targeting satellites, along with anti-satellite weapons, some of which include small robots capable of attaching to and disabling adversary space platforms. In the maritime domain, the military is testing a wide range of autonomous underwater vehicles. Beijing has already deployed advanced sensors in the oceans and space to monitor subsurface activity, aiming to eventually track U.S. submarines worldwide.