China is said to be recruiting an elite group of 'patriotic' kids to help develop AI weapons

pulse

November 9, 2018 12:06 AM

China has touted its artificial intelligence capabilities in the past, though it's largely kept its AI-weapons technology under wraps.

A child reacts as he pretends to use a handgun while under guidance by a Peoples' Liberation Army (PLA) soldier at the Ngong Shuen Chau Barracks in Hong Kong on July 1, 2015.

An elite group of "patriotic" students in China have been selected to begin training for a new artificial-intelligence weapons development program.
Some 31 kids — all under 18 — have been recruited to participate in the "Experimental Program for Intelligent Weapons Systems" at the Beijing Institute of Technology, which will groom them to become AI weapons experts, the South China Morning Post reported, citing an announcement from the Beijing Institute of Technology.
China has largely kept the development of its AI-weapons technology opaque, but experts say China's army will likely leverage AI "to enhance its future capabilities, including in intelligent and autonomous unmanned systems."

An elite group of "patriotic" students in China have been selected to begin training

"These kids are all exceptionally bright, but being bright is not enough," a BIT professor who asked not to be identified told the Post.

"We are looking for other qualities such as creative thinking, willingness to fight, a persistence when facing challenges," he said. "A passion for developing new weapons is a must … and they must also be patriots."

According to the program's brochure, each student will be mentored by two weapons scientists with both academic and defense backgrounds. The kids will later be tasked with choosing a specialization within the weapons sector and will be assigned to the relevant defense laboratory to hone their skills under the guidance of experts.

The institute expects students will go on to complete doctorate degrees and become leaders in the field of AI weapons technology, the Post said.