Chinese scientists have developed the world’s first AI military commander based on real military leaders, reflecting both their strengths and weaknesses.
This “virtual commander” is strictly confined to a laboratory at the Joint Operations College of the National Defense University in Hebei province, China, and simulates the real commander in all aspects, from experience and thought processes to personality, and even their shortcomings.
In large-scale computer simulations involving all branches of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), the AI commander has been granted unprecedented supreme command authority, learning and continuously evolving in virtual warfare.
For the first time in the world, China has created an AI military commander. (Image: Shutterstock)
The AI commander can replace a real commander when they are unable to participate in a large-scale battle or execute command authority. Within the laboratory’s scope, it can freely exercise this power without any human intervention.
The research team stated that the AI commander initially adopts the style of a seasoned and exceptional strategist. However, this setting is not fixed; the personality of the virtual commander can be adjusted as needed to adopt different combat styles akin to various senior commanders of the PLA.
The AI commander relies more on experiential knowledge to make combat decisions, seeking satisfactory solutions, recalling similar situations from memory, and quickly formulating a viable plan.
The AI command system identifies new threats, plans, and makes optimal decisions based on the overall situation when battles become stalemated or results are not achieved. It also learns and adapts from victories and failures, all without any human intervention. The AI commander “has advantages including ease of implementation, high efficiency, and support for repeatable testing.”
This groundbreaking research project was published in May in the Chinese journal Common Control & Simulator. The team, led by senior engineer Jia Chenxing, noted that AI technology has both potential and risks in military applications. However, the project has proposed a “feasible” solution to this complex issue.
In China, only the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of China has the authority to mobilize the PLA. Command authority at the command post remains in human hands, even though AI technology has the capability to make independent decisions; units such as drones and robotic dogs are granted considerable freedom of movement and engagement.
The essential mission of the scientists is to test these plans in simulations to “weigh the good and the bad and gain a better understanding of the chaos of battle”, Jia and his colleagues wrote.
Military simulations at the operational level often require the involvement of commanders to make on-the-spot decisions in response to unexpected events. However, the number of senior PLA commanders and their readiness is very limited.
