Breakthrough in arms control verification reported amid concerns over tech secrecy
China has developed the world's first artificial intelligence system capable of distinguishing real nuclear warheads from decoys, a major advancement in arms control verification, the South China Morning Post reported on Friday.
The AI-based solution was detailed in a peer-reviewed paper published in April by researchers at the China Institute of Atomic Energy (CIAE), a subsidiary of the China National Nuclear Corporation.
The project is based on a verification protocol jointly proposed by Chinese and US scientists more than a decade ago, but it now faces internal challenges. CIAE researchers said the system's approval depends on clearance from Chinese military authorities concerned about the potential exposure of classified information.
“Due to the classified nature of nuclear warheads and component designs, specific data cannot be disclosed here,” the CIAE team said in the paper.
CIAE serves as China's key research center for nuclear weapons technology.
In a related move, Beijing has invited member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization to collaborate on establishing an AI application center aimed at expanding cooperation and sharing open-source services.
*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid
