The Chinese government is exporting some of its most advanced military aerial drones to the Middle East, raising concerns about the Chinese military’s artificial intelligence ambitions, said U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper.
Esper made the comments during a conference organized by the National Security Commission of Artificial Intelligence, making him the first top U.S. official who has spoken publicly about China’s sale of lethal autonomous drones.
“As we speak, the Chinese government is already exporting some of its most advanced military aerial drones to the Middle East, as it prepares to export its next-generation stealth UAVs [unmanned aerial vehicles] when those come online,” Esper said.
“In addition, Chinese weapons manufacturers are selling drones advertised as capable of full autonomy, including the ability to conduct lethal targeted strikes,” he added.
Esper emphasized China’s use of artificial intelligence (AI) as a tool to impose authoritarian rule over its population, especially Muslim Uighurs. He urged the AI community to stop enabling Chinese firms’ unethical use of the technology.
Reporting by NTD News
