China AI military use spurs latest U.S. chip export controls, analysts say

Lessons from Ukraine and Israel show rapid escalation in speed and scale of combat

20241210 Facial recognition

A software engineer works on a facial recognition program that identifies people when they wear a face mask in Beijing. The U.S. fears that such technology can alter the nature of warfare. © Reuters

KEN MORIYASU, Nikkei Asia diplomatic correspondent

WASHINGTON -- The recent U.S. decision to tighten export controls on advanced semiconductors was driven by a fear that China could use artificial intelligence and advanced computing to alter the nature of future warfare, according to analysts.

Those concerns have been accentuated by the use of AI in the Gaza and Ukraine conflicts, including Ukrainian drones identifying and firing at Russian targets without human intervention, or Israeli facial recognition technology sifting through vast amounts of data to identify Hamas leaders on the street.

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