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China tests AI-powered long-range artillery that can hit a person 16km away
- Multiple test launches achieve lethal accuracy greater than guns used now
- High-precision cannons could significantly cut costs of war, researchers say
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Stephen Chenin Beijing
China’s military has used artificial intelligence to improve the accuracy of long-range artillery and potentially reduce the cost of warfare, according to a team of scientists working on the technology for the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
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In multiple tests conducted under various conditions last July, the researchers determined that their AI-powered laser-guided artillery could hit human-sized targets 16km (9.9 miles) away.
The precision achieved in the tests, which exceeded expectations, was far higher than that of any big guns in service, according to photos of the tests that showed the shells hit target boards in the bull’s-eye.
“Artificial intelligence is evolving quickly. More researchers are applying the technology to trajectory planning problems,” said the project’s team leader, Professor Wang Jiang, from the Beijing Institute of Technology, in a paper published in the peer-reviewed journal Acta Armamentarii on April 6.
Traditional artillery shells can land 100 metres (328 feet) or more away from a target. Guided artillery shells, which can make course adjustments during flight, are finding wider applications by militaries in China, the United States and other countries.
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