Chinese Military Investing in AI Tools for Intelligence Work, Research Says

Chinese military researchers had analyzed U.S. efforts to apply generative AI to military intelligence task, according to a new report.

This illustration photograph shows screens displaying the logo of DeepSeek, a Chinese artificial intelligence company that develops open-source large language models, and the logo of OpenAI's artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT in Toulouse, southwestern France, on Jan. 29, 2025. Lionel Bonaventure/AFP via Getty Images

China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is actively pursuing generative artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities to gather and analyze military intelligence, according to a threat analysis report published on June 17.

U.S.-based Insikt Group, the research division of threat intelligence consultancy Recorded Future, examined articles in PLA-affiliated media, research papers, patent applications, and procurement orders, and said the material showed the Chinese military’s “clear interest” in generative AI tools.