China and US in High-Stakes AI Arms Race to Deploy Autonomous Weapons

China and the US are in an AI arms race, with both sides rushing to deploy autonomous drones, subs, and other robots with some AI capabilities.

China aims to challenge US military dominance in Asia-Pacific; the stakes are high as AI could determine who shapes the global order.

"Killer robots" with some autonomy raise concerns about lethal decisions made independently without human oversight.

AI systems can analyze vast data to inform commanders, while micro-targeting via surveillance data allows precision attacks.

Cheap, expendable drones like Ghost Shark may help US allies offset China's numerical advantage in weapons and personnel.