China’s state-owned protection big Norinco in February unveiled a navy car able to autonomously conducting combat-support operations at 50 kilometers per hour. It was powered by DeepSeek, the corporate whose synthetic intelligence mannequin is the satisfaction of China’s tech sector.
The Norinco P60’s launch was touted by Communist Occasion officers in press statements as an early showcase of how Beijing is utilizing DeepSeek and AI to catch up in its arms race with the United States, at a time when leaders in each nations have urged their militaries to put together for battle.
A Reuters evaluate of a whole bunch of analysis papers, patents, and procurement data offers a snapshot of the systematic effort by Beijing to harness AI for navy benefit.
Specifics of how the programs behind China’s next-generation weapons work and the extent to which it has deployed them are a state secret, however procurement data and patents provide clues into Beijing’s progress towards capabilities like autonomous goal recognition and real-time battlefield choice assist in a manner that mirrors US efforts.
Reuters couldn’t set up if all of the merchandise had been constructed and patents don’t essentially point out operational know-how.
The Individuals’s Liberation Military (PLA) and associates proceed to make use of and search for Nvidia chips, together with fashions underneath US export controls, in line with the papers, tenders, and patents.
Reuters couldn’t decide if these chips have been stockpiled earlier than Washington imposed restrictions because the paperwork don’t element when the {hardware} used was exported. Patents filed as lately as June present their use by military-linked analysis institutes. In September 2022, the US commerce division banned exports to China of Nvidia’s in style A100 and H100 chips.
Nvidia spokesman John Rizzo mentioned in a press release to Reuters that whereas the agency can’t observe particular person resales of beforehand offered merchandise, “recycling small portions of previous, secondhand merchandise doesn’t allow something new or increase any nationwide safety concern. Utilizing restricted merchandise for navy purposes could be a nonstarter, with out assist, software program, or upkeep.”
The US Treasury and commerce division didn’t reply to questions on Reuters’ findings.
The Chinese language navy has additionally in 2025 elevated its use of contractors that declare to solely use domestically-made {hardware} like Huawei AI chips, mentioned Sunny Cheung, a fellow on the Washington-based Jamestown Basis protection coverage assume tank, who analyzed a number of hundred tenders issued from the PLA Procurement Community over six months this 12 months.
Reuters couldn’t independently affirm his assertion however the shift would coincide with a public strain marketing campaign by Beijing on home companies to make use of China-made know-how.
The information company’s evaluate of procurement notices and patents filed to China’s patent workplace discovered demand for and use of Huawei chips by PLA associates, but it surely was not in a position to confirm all of the tenders seen by Jamestown, which is releasing a report this week that it offered early to Reuters.
Huawei declined to remark when requested about navy deployment of its chips. The Chinese language protection ministry, DeepSeek, and Norinco didn’t return requests for remark about their use of AI for navy purposes. The schools and protection companies that filed the patents and analysis papers seen by Reuters additionally didn’t reply to related questions.
DeepSeek dependence
Utilization of DeepSeek fashions was indicated in a dozen tenders from PLA entities filed this 12 months and seen by Reuters, whereas only one referenced Alibaba’s Qwen, a significant home rival.
Alibaba didn’t return a request for remark about navy use of Qwen.
DeepSeek-related procurement notices have accelerated all through 2025, with new navy purposes showing frequently on the PLA community, in line with Jamestown.
DeepSeek’s recognition with the PLA additionally displays China’s pursuit of what Beijing calls “algorithmic sovereignty” — decreasing dependence on Western know-how whereas strengthening management over crucial digital infrastructure.
The US Division of Protection declined to remark concerning the PLA’s use of AI.
A State Division spokesperson mentioned in response to Reuters’ questions that “DeepSeek has willingly offered, and can possible proceed to supply, assist to China’s navy and intelligence operations.”
Washington will ” pursue a daring, inclusive technique to American AI know-how with trusted international nations world wide, whereas conserving the know-how out of the fingers of our adversaries,” the spokesperson added.
AI-powered planning and purposes
China is AI-powered robotic canines that scout in packs and drone swarms that autonomously observe targets, in addition to visually-immersive command facilities and superior struggle sport simulations, in line with the paperwork.
In November 2024, the PLA issued a sci-fi-esque tender for AI-powered robotic canines that might scout collectively for threats and clear explosive hazards.
Reuters couldn’t determine if the tender was fulfilled. China has beforehand deployed armed robotic canines from AI robotics producer Unitree in navy drills, in line with photos launched in state media.
Unitree didn’t reply to queries about its PLA work.
The evaluate of patents, tenders, and analysis papers printed previously two years exhibits how PLA and affiliated entities need to AI to enhance navy planning, together with growing know-how to rapidly analyze photos taken by satellites and drones.
Researchers at Landship Info Know-how, a Chinese language firm that integrates AI programs into navy automobiles together with Norinco’s, mentioned in a February white paper launched to advertise their providers that its know-how constructed on Huawei chips can quickly determine targets from satellite tv for pc imagery, whereas coordinating with radars and plane to execute operations.
The time taken for navy planners to shift from discovering and figuring out a goal to executing an operation has additionally been shortened by AI, in line with Xi’an Technological College.
Researchers at that institute mentioned in a abstract of their findings launched in Might that their DeepSeek-powered system was in a position to assess 10,000 battlefield situations — every with completely different variables, terrain, and power deployments — in 48 seconds.
Such a process would have taken a traditional group of navy planners 48 hours to finish, they mentioned.
Reuters couldn’t independently confirm the researchers’ claims.
Autonomous weapons
Chinese language navy entities are investing in more and more autonomous battlefield know-how, the paperwork counsel.
Two dozen of the tenders and patents seen by Reuters present the navy making an attempt to combine AI into drones to allow them to acknowledge and observe targets, in addition to work collectively in formations with little human intervention.
Beihang College, identified for its navy aviation analysis, is utilizing DeepSeek to enhance drone swarm decision-making when focusing on “low, gradual, small” threats — navy shorthand for drones and lightweight plane — in line with a patent submitting this 12 months.
Chinese language protection leaders have publicly dedicated to sustaining human management over weapons programs amid rising concern {that a} battle between Beijing and Washington may result in the unchecked deployment of AI-powered munitions.
The US navy, which can also be investing in AI, is aiming to deploy 1000’s of autonomous drones by the top of 2025 in what officers say is an try to counter China’s numerical benefit in unmanned aerial automobiles.
US chips, Chinese language fashions
Chinese language protection contractors like Shanxi 100 Belief Info Know-how have touted in advertising and marketing supplies their reliance on domestically produced elements like Huawei’s Ascend chips, which permit AI fashions to function.
The agency didn’t reply to questions on its relationship with Huawei and the PLA.
Regardless of the transfer to home processors, Nvidia {hardware} continues to be incessantly cited in analysis by military-affiliated lecturers, in line with a evaluate of patent filings from the previous two years.
Reuters recognized 35 purposes referencing use of Nvidia’s A100 chips by lecturers on the PLA’s Nationwide College of Protection Know-how (NUDT) and on the “Seven Sons” — a gaggle of Chinese language universities underneath US sanctions and with a historical past of conducting defense-related analysis for Beijing.
These entities in the identical time interval filed 15 patents associated to AI purposes that cited Huawei Ascend {hardware}, which was designed as an alternative to Nvidia chips.
As lately as June, the PLA Rocket Power College of Engineering individually filed a patent for a remote-sensing goal detection system, which it mentioned used A100 chips for mannequin coaching.
Senior Colonel Zhu Qichao, who leads an NUDT analysis heart, advised Reuters final 12 months that US restrictions have impacted their AI analysis “to some extent,” although they’re decided to slim the technological hole.
Nvidia’s Rizzo performed down PLA demand for Nvidia’s {hardware}, saying that China “has greater than sufficient home chips for all of its navy purposes.” – Rappler.com
