Context: Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has initiated the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into its military operations particularly in non-combat support roles.
Relevance of the Topic: Prelims & Mains: Applications of AI in Defence.
Applications of AI in Military Operations:
- AI in Military Healthcare: DeepSeek’s large language model (LLM) is being used in PLA hospitals, armed Police (PAP) and national defence mobilisation units to provide:
- treatment plan suggestions to doctors.
- healthcare of senior Chinese officials and military officers.
- AI in Military Training:
- As a support tool to assist military commanders, rather than autonomously making battlefield decisions.
- Assisting in physical training programs, and exercise plan creation for paramilitary forces.
- AI in Psychological Support: Psychological counseling to help soldiers cope with stress and anxiety.
Future Prospects:
- Analysts predict that AI models like DeepSeek will soon be used for:
- Battlefield intelligence gathering and surveillance.
- Real-time data processing for enhanced situational awareness.
- Improving combat strategy through predictive analysis and decision-making support.
- PLA has already explored AI for drone swarm tactics, pilot training simulations, and combat scenario analysis.
Also Read: Use of Artificial Intelligence in Defence
Advantages of DeepSeek:
- Low-cost AI model: making it more accessible than competitors like ChatGPT.
- Lower computational requirements: making it more scalable for military and civilian uses.
- Indigenously built by China: ensures data security by storing and processing information on local servers, and reducing external cybersecurity threats.