In a worrying development for its neighbouring countries, China might now employ artificial intelligence (AI) to assist in training the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to use its heavy weapons including artillery against Taiwan.
China reportedly took this step after studying artillery gunnery drills of both Russia and Ukraine during the ongoing war in eastern Europe.
The South China Morning Post reported this month that a Beijing-based science team had tested human-size targets from a distance of 16 kilometres using AI-powered laser-guided artillery rounds on multiple occasions. They noted that the accuracy achieved during the tests exceeded expectations, with photos demonstrating centre hits on bullseye targets.
According to the SCMP, the poor precision of current guided artillery rounds is a result of the enormous volume of real-time data that must be processed using conventional mathematical models. As guided artillery rounds’ microchips must be as simple as possible to resist the intense stress and heat of being shot from a cannon, it was also stated that a significant portion of this vital raw data is lost.
The SCMP points out that AI has the capacity to process data more quickly than conventional mathematical models and can avoid complex trajectory calculations utilising data gathered from tests or actual firing scenarios.
The science team allegedly divided up jobs involving complex trajectory corrections during flight across a variety of AI models, increasing accuracy. The source also mentioned that guided artillery rounds with sluggish microchips might perform all essential computations using all available data with AI.
The SCMP says that in a Taiwan scenario, AI-powered guided artillery may destroy targets in metropolitan areas more effectively than conventional weapons and more affordably than missiles. Additionally, it claims that such accuracy would lessen the need for reconstruction and reduce collateral damage and casualties among civilians.
With those improvements, China might be trying to prevent Russia’s artillery errors in Ukraine in the event of a Taiwan contingency.