CHINA / MILITARY
Human Primacy Must Be Upheld in Military Applications of AI and to Avoid Technological Runaway
Published: Mar 11, 2026 03:21 PM
Jiang Bin Photo: China's Ministry of National Defense

Jiang Bin Photo: China's Ministry of National Defense


Question: According to reports, the U.S. Department of War has demanded American technology companies to allow unrestricted use of AI technologies by the military. In addition, the U.S. military has employed AI tools extensively in military operations against Venezuela and Iran, triggering deep concerns over war ethics and the boundary of military application of technology. What's your comment on this?

Jiang Bin: Such choices as the unrestricted application of AI by the military, using AI as a tool to violate the sovereignty of other nations, allowing AI to excessively affect war decisions, and giving algorithms the power to determine life and death, not only erode ethical restraints and accountability in wars, but also risk technological runaway. A dystopia depicted in the American film The Terminator could one day come true. Upholding a people-centered approach and the principle of AI for good, China believes that human primacy must be upheld in military applications of AI, and that all relevant weapon systems must be put under human control. We are opposed to taking advantage of the lead in AI and other emerging technologies to pursue absolute military dominance, or undermine the sovereignty and territorial security of other countries. China will work with other nations to advance multilateral AI governance with UN centrality, strengthen risk prevention and control, and ensure that AI always develops in a direction conducive to the progress of human civilization.