Chinese PLA soldier practicing with FPV drone
Collision report via Twitter
The release of DeepSeek chatbots in China sent a shock wave in the United States and later. The manufacturer claims that the basic Deepseek-V3 model is only a part of the cost of rival US systems and has been trained for about $ 6 million in a part of computing abilities.
This happened shortly after the United States announced a large -scale expenditure to AI infrastructure and built computing skills that DeepSeek seemed to be suspicious. The launch is called the “Sputnik Moment”, which was led by the cosmic race when the Soviet Union in 1957 had the first satellite in the track and shocked the world.
SPUTNIK had a clear military meaning. Americans were nervous about the Russian hardware flying on their heads every 90 minutes. China’s lead, a large language model, may look purely economical. However, new generation AI -compatible drones may convert it into military benefits.
Place the AI crown in the advantage of the drone
DJI Sky City, one of the world’s leading consumer drone markers DJI, one of the world’s leading consumer drone markers in Shenzhen.
VCG via Getty Images
China is the world’s largest drone producer. SHENZHEN’s DJI leads an estimated 80 % of the world’s consumer drone market. The company officially laments the military use of the product, but the DJI drone has become a ubiquitous tool used by both sides in the Ukrainian war.
Low -cost FPV drones and armed racing quadcopters have become the most important single weapons in the ground war. These are locally assembled, but many parts or most parts come from China.
Currently, almost all drones are flying by remote control. The skilled FPV pilot has a surprising success. 25 -year -old Tymofiy OREL was awarded the title “Ukraine Hero” by destroying 42 Russian tanks and 44 armored personnel.
In the past year, small drones have increased AI levels. In particular, the US manufacturer AUTERION supplies the Skynode-S board, which is optimized for machine learning apps, to Ukraine. For example, lock on the target and automatically fly the optimal route. Ultimately, this may change all drone operators to Tymofiy Orel.
A speech to RUSI in October pointed out how fast the technology has evolved.
“When a robot entered the battlefield (in 2022), there was a laugh from the western media and local generals,” he said. “But by 2024, technology, especially artificial intelligence, began to play an important role in the war.”
The following year, it is expected that the number of AI -compatible drones will increase on the Ukrainian battlefield. There are many tasks, such as packing sufficient computing power to execute AI applications at speed, and training a machine learning system for ensuring and efficient execution.
This is like a technology that China seems to have gained in Deepseek.
From the virtual world to the battlefield
LLM like DeepSeek has amazing applications including drone battles
Getty Image
Deepseek is based on a large language model (LLMS), a specific type of AI trained in large amounts of text, and is good in spoken in natural languages. This may seem like a world far from the challenge of flying drones, but researchers show how LLM can strengthen drones. Many of this study come from China.
The paper in 2024 provides a good outline of the field -“UAV’s large language model (non -weat aerial vehicle): The route to the current state and the future” is the integration of LLM and which is the drone. It was written by a researcher based in Shanghai, which explains whether it can be improved automatically. Data processing and quick decision -making.
The author carefully avoids specific applications, but “LLM is extraordinary to identify specific objects, individuals, vehicles, or activities in video streams or images, and indispensable for military and private surveillance. We provide detailed insights. “
This leads to the ability to execute complex commands such as “check if there is a vehicle on the truck near the river” and “Fly to the enemy’s position and approach from the south.”
The LLM reports what is seen in natural languages after the drone allows the order. They are occupied. “
LLMS, like communication with humans, allows drones to talk with each other in natural languages. Drone groups can share the survey results, adjust their actions based on their mission, and distribute tasks without human intervention. A reconnaissance drone may send an attack drone to a specific target and then send a follow -up that is not destroyed.
Another Chinese paper in 2024 will further cover this. Cooperative and unmanned aircraft fighting frameworks based on large -scale language models explain the work using LLMS and realize a “completely autonomous unmanned fighter.” They imagine a single human fighter pilot with a collection of robot wingman who responds at the speed of the machine and communicates in human language. Again, use the LLM plan and problem -solving ability to make it an effective pilot so that it can respond quickly to unexpected situations. (It is strange, but not surprising if a drone imitates human practice and gives a call station like “Marvelic” or “Iceman”.)
It is interesting to consider this ability that Deepseek-R1 is an open source. The Chinese may be very aware of the possibility of the double use. Are there any measures to prevent enemies from using it? Or do they have more powerful things for their own use?
Utilize DeepSeek’s advantage
Deepseek is claimed that there are more advantages than other LLMs. In particular, because of its high resource efficiency, it has less computing power than other models and is suitable for edge applications such as drones, not data centers. In addition, developers argue that the results have been promptly achieved with less training data than the same model.
I don’t know how talented DeepSeek is. However, a powerful and low -cost system that can be deployed on a drone is a useful asset for China at this point.
China has the world’s largest drone production base. They use these drones in battle to have a wealth of information on tactics and techniques that Ukraine and Russia have solved in wars that have not been sacrificed. And they have recently developed their own drone combat units with something that look like a low -cost commercial drone.
It seems that China has added an LLM function to the mix and has all cards to build invincible drone power. War is becoming increasingly becoming a drone -to -drone problem. In the long term, software can be a determined factor, as victory goes to the wise drone.
