PLA Daily published a commentary on Thursday stating that AI use in the Iran war marks the first integration across the full cycle of operations, demonstrating its vast potential and strategic value in the military domain. The article called AI a 'core engine' reshaping warfare and urged the People's Liberation Army to rapidly transform for combat advantage.
PLA Daily published a commentary on Thursday pointing to the Iran war, also referred to as the Middle East war, to illustrate AI's strategic value for China's military. The article noted this as the first instance where AI was integrated into the entire cycle of operations—from intelligence analysis to target identification, planning, and assessment.
"This has practically demonstrated and validated the vast application potential and significant strategic value of AI in the military domain," the article stated, describing AI as a "core engine" reshaping warfare, armed forces, and the global strategic landscape.
It argued that a rapid transformation of AI technology for combat is "inevitable" and necessary for the People's Liberation Army (PLA) to gain the advantage in future warfare. The commentary identified key focus areas for the PLA, primarily intelligent situational awareness.
It highlighted existing AI applications for "active early warning" that can identify targets, track enemies in real time, provide threat alerts, and predict enemy intent.