US China Technological Competition and The Use 0f Artificial Intellignce in Military Applications

Abstract

This study explores the increasing importance of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the United States' and China's military competition with a particular emphasis on the implications for contemporary warfare, strategic stability and geopolitical competition. Autonomous weapons systems, machine-learning models, predictive analytics and cyber warfare tools are all increasingly being part of the defense approaches of both countries. The United States favors the promotion of innovation in military artificial intelligence, with partnerships with civilian technology companies, while China has a more centralized “intelligentized warfare” strategy reinforced by military-civil fusion. This study is done using the qualitative comparative research design where secondary data are defense reports, literature and think tank analyses. The results show that they are spending a lot on AI-powered military technologies in their own countries; by 2025, the combined annual expenditure is expected to exceed $35 billion. The study suggests that in future military operations, AI will both optimize the efficiency of armed forces and raise threats of escalation, ethical dilemmas, and security threats to the world.

Keywords

Artificial Intelligence (AI), Algorithmic Warfare, Autonomous Weapons Systems, Drone Swarm Technology, Intelligentized Warfare, Military Modernization, US–China Technological Competition,