The big threat left out of Xi’s parade: China’s weaponized AI startups

China’s massive military parade this week featured a who’s who of well-dressed dictators, a fleet of laser-armed trucks, new hypersonic weapons, beach landing craft and, of course, thousands of uniformed troops marching in intricately coordinated unison. But it left out what might be China’s most important new military asset: a growing ecosystem of small and nimble dual-use AI companies partnering with the Chinese military. 

A new report from the Center for Security and Emerging Technology draws attention to China’s growing appetite for AI-related tech, not just from a handful of big, surveillable state-backed enterprises but from a growing cadre of relatively young outfits emerging from universities and private labs. Those partnerships make it harder for the United States to track what new weapons China is developing and prevent U.S. investors or technology collaborators from helping them. 

A significant portion of the technology, like software for piloting drone swarms or advanced navigation systems, have both a civilian and military purpose—much like Chinese flagged fishing and “research” vessels, non-military ships that many U.S. military and national security leaders describe as China’s “maritime militia.”  

Read more at Defense One