China could unleash AI-guided weapons in Taiwan invasion and ‘reunification’: report

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The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of China has tested an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered laser-guided artillery shell that has far exceeded the capabilities of any similar operational round. 

“Artificial intelligence is evolving quickly,” Professor Wang Jiang, the project’s lead from the Beijing Institute of Technology, wrote. “More researchers are applying the technology to trajectory planning problems.”

Initial tests have shown a new mortar deployed using this technology has achieved precision within centimeters of its target – a feat that developers have hailed while acknowledging the shorter distance and lower speeds that mortars require. 

The major difference between the guided shell, referred to as “smart” rounds or artillery, and traditional versions lies in the fact that AI-powered version could adjust its course mid-flight, making them far more accurate and removing the wide margin of error seen in traditional models. 

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A Chinese artillery detachment conducts a live-fire test in an unfamiliar area on Oct. 31, 2021 in Anhui Province, China. (Costfoto/Future Publishing via Getty Images)

Previous efforts to create more accurate models suffered from the difficulty inherent in attempting to handle the huge amount of real-time data, but AI allows for the ability to crunch those numbers at incredible speeds. 

Some experts question the value in funding this research as shrapnel from artillery can hit people several hundred feet away, making improved accuracy an unnecessary feature. 

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A Chinese artillery detachment conducts a live-fire test in an unfamiliar area on Oct. 31, 2021 in Anhui Province, China. (Costfoto/Future Publishing via Getty Images)

Supporters argue that precision could prove a difference-maker in a potential attack on Taiwan, according to the South China Morning Press 

“It will help reduce civilian casualties and damage to surrounding buildings. It will make reunification and reconstruction after the war easier,” a Beijing-based defense industry engineer said.

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This photo taken on April 9, 2023 shows artillery weapons of the Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army PLA during the combat readiness patrol and military exercises around the Taiwan Island. The Eastern Theater Command of the PLA has accomplished all tasks in the combat readiness patrol and military exercises carried out from April 8 to 10 around the Taiwan Island. (Li Zhenjie/Xinhua via Getty Images)

China’s defense industry, in partnership with experts from the United Arab Emirates Belt and Road joint laboratory, are working to improve the system’s ability to collect and analyze environmental data and generate the appropriate calculations, the South China Morning Press reported. 

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Temperature and shock from the initial launch and flight path of the artillery also present a problem, forcing developers to simplify the chips as much as possible – another area that AI can help with as it can process the data far faster with even slower-moving chips, according to Wang’s team. 

Video footage of live-testing artillery using smart rounds, but did not disclose the effective range and accuracy of the weapons. 

Peter Aitken is a Fox News Digital reporter with a focus on national and global news.