A research team at a university in northwestern China has utilized the artificial intelligence model DeepSeek to automatically generate military simulation scenarios. This breakthrough has been hailed as a "disruptive" transformation of commanders’ decision-making processes.
According to Fu Yanfang, the team leader from the School of Computer Science and Engineering at Xi’an University of Science and Technology, this AI-based simulation system can generate 10,000 military scenarios in just 48 seconds. Previously, it would take commanders 48 hours to develop the same number of plans.
DeepSeek LLM Reshapes Future War Design
Fu Yanfang stated that the integration of Large Language Models (LLMs) with combat simulation scenarios is redefining the design of future warfare. A key advantage of DeepSeek LLM is its ability to "deconstruct and reconstruct complex battlefield situations" through training on massive datasets.
Military simulation scenarios aim to replicate realistic combat environments, including targets, terrain, and troop deployments, to prepare commanders for various contingencies.
While the goal of simulation is to closely approximate reality in a virtual environment, its realization faces numerous challenges due to the complexity of warfare and limitations in human cognition.
Fu Yanfang pointed out: "AI can now directly generate various geographic environments, troop deployments, event logics, and operational strategies for use in simulation scenarios."
She emphasized: "This is not just an improvement in efficiency, but a complete disruption of the traditional manual scenario construction method."
AI Helps the PLA Enhance Combat Capabilities
The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has consistently emphasized the potential of AI in enhancing combat capabilities, including in military decision-making, aircraft design, situational awareness, and precise operational coordination.
The official PLA Daily has published commentaries praising the superiority of algorithms and their strategic role in China’s so-called future "intelligentized" warfare.
As warfare rapidly evolves towards unmanned operations, multi-domain integration, and intelligent decision-making, many countries have applied AI to the military domain.
DeepSeek Technology Breaks Through, Challenges OpenAI and Microsoft
DeepSeek, a Hangzhou-based startup, caused a global stir earlier this year with the release of its R1 model. This large language model is cost-effective and comparable to the most advanced technologies from global AI giants like OpenAI and Microsoft.
Former US President Donald Trump has called DeepSeek a "wake-up call" for the US tech industry, and the US Department of Defense has invested billions of dollars in AI research and development for defense purposes.
AI has become a key area of competition between the US and China. The US is tightening export controls to restrict China’s access to advanced hardware and innovative technologies.
NATO: AI Accelerates Military Decision-Making
NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Transformation, General Philippe Lavigne, stated in February that AI is significantly accelerating military decision-making, and armies that fail to keep up risk being eliminated.
As a dual-use technology, AI demonstrates the progress of China’s military-civil fusion strategy.
Ethical Challenges of Military AI
However, the responsible use of military AI, particularly in areas such as nuclear weapons systems, remains a topic of global debate and growing international concern.
Detailed Analysis of DeepSeek’s Application in the Military Field
DeepSeek AI’s application in the military field marks a significant breakthrough in the integration of artificial intelligence technology with military strategy. To gain a deeper understanding of its impact, we will explore in detail how this technology is changing combat simulations and its potential impact on future warfare.
Sophisticated Combat Simulation
Traditional combat simulations rely on manually designed scenarios, which are both time-consuming and prone to human bias. DeepSeek AI can quickly generate a large number of diverse simulation scenarios, covering various terrains, weather conditions, and enemy-to-friend force ratios, thereby providing commanders with a more comprehensive and realistic training environment.
Real-time Decision Support
DeepSeek AI can not only generate simulation scenarios, but also provide commanders with decision support in real-time combat. By analyzing battlefield data, AI can predict enemy actions, assess the risks and benefits of different operational plans, and provide optimization suggestions, thereby helping commanders make more informed decisions.
Intelligence Analysis and Situational Awareness
DeepSeek AI can be used to analyze massive amounts of intelligence data, identify potential threats, and build a comprehensive situational awareness picture. This helps commanders better understand the battlefield environment, predict enemy actions, and develop corresponding defense strategies.
Unmanned Systems Collaboration
Artificial intelligence is a key technology for the autonomous operation of unmanned systems (such as drones and unmanned ships). DeepSeek AI can be used to develop more intelligent unmanned systems, enabling collaborative operations between unmanned systems, thereby improving operational efficiency and reducing personnel casualties.
Cybersecurity Confrontation
DeepSeek AI can be used to detect and defend against cyberattacks, protecting the security of military information systems. At the same time, AI can also be used to launch cyberattacks, paralyzing enemy information systems, thereby weakening enemy combat capabilities.
Analysis of DeepSeek’s Technical Advantages
DeepSeek AI’s ability to play an important role in the military field is inseparable from its unique technical advantages.
Powerful Natural Language Processing Ability
DeepSeek AI is based on large language models (LLM) and has powerful natural language processing capabilities. It can understand and generate complex military language and terminology, thereby enabling effective communication between humans and machines.
Efficient Data Analysis Ability
DeepSeek AI can quickly analyze massive amounts of data, extract key information, and discover potential patterns, thereby providing commanders with decision support.
Adaptive Learning Ability
DeepSeek AI has adaptive learning ability and can continuously improve its performance by learning from historical data and practical combat experience, thereby adapting to the ever-changing battlefield environment.
Multi-Modal Information Fusion Ability
DeepSeek AI can fuse information from different sources, including images, sounds, and text, thereby building a more comprehensive situational awareness picture.
High Scalability
DeepSeek AI can be deployed on various hardware platforms, from high-performance servers to embedded devices, thereby meeting the needs of different operational environments.
DeepSeek’s Impact on Future Warfare
DeepSeek AI’s application in the military field will have a profound impact on future warfare.
Transformation of Warfare Mode
Artificial intelligence will accelerate the transformation of warfare from traditional labor-intensive to technology-intensive. Future warfare will rely more on artificial intelligence, unmanned systems, and cyberspace forces.
Acceleration of Operational Rhythm
Artificial intelligence will significantly shorten the decision-making cycle and accelerate the operational rhythm. Future warfare will emphasize rapid response and precision strikes.
Highlighting of Intelligence Advantage
Artificial intelligence will make intelligence collection, analysis, and utilization more efficient, and intelligence advantage will play a more important role in future warfare.
Intensification of Ethical Challenges
The application of artificial intelligence in the military field will bring a series of ethical challenges, including the control of autonomous weapons, the norms of cyberattacks, and the protection of data privacy.
Strategic Layout of Various Countries on Military Artificial Intelligence
Faced with the enormous potential of artificial intelligence in the military field, countries have increased investment and formulated strategic plans.
United States
The US Department of Defense has listed artificial intelligence as a priority development area and launched the "Department of Defense AI Strategy," which aims to apply artificial intelligence technology to all aspects of the military. The United States is also actively promoting the formulation of artificial intelligence ethical norms.
China
China regards artificial intelligence as a strategic emerging industry and formulated the "New Generation Artificial Intelligence Development Plan," which clearly states that it is necessary to promote the application of artificial intelligence in the military field. China is also actively developing military-civil fusion to promote the military conversion of artificial intelligence technology.
Russia
Russia attaches great importance to the potential of artificial intelligence in the military field, and put forward the "National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence," aimed at improving the level of intelligence of the Russian army. Russia is also actively developing autonomous weapon systems.
Europe
European countries are also actively developing military artificial intelligence technologies, and emphasize the importance of ethical norms. The EU issued the "AI Ethics Guidelines" to guide the responsible development of artificial intelligence technology.
Conclusion: Military Revolution in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
DeepSeek AI’s application in the military field is a microcosm of the military revolution in the age of artificial intelligence. With the continuous development of artificial intelligence technology, its application in the military field will become more and more widespread, and its impact on future warfare will become more and more profound. Countries need to strengthen cooperation, jointly address the opportunities and challenges brought by artificial intelligence, ensure that the application of artificial intelligence technology in the military field complies with ethical norms, and maintain world peace and security.