China's Restructured Military and Growing AI Focus: Cause for Concern

• PLA-ISF Rebranding: China's recent rebranding of its People's Liberation Army - Information Support Force (PLA-ISF) signals a significant shift in its approach to modern warfare.
• Increased CCP Control: This restructuring suggests tighter control by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) over all AI activities within China, raising concerns about potential military applications.
• Long-Term Military Campaigns with AI: The PLA-ISF highlights China's potential to leverage AI for long-term military campaigns, further amplifying the impact of existing "gray zone" activities like social media manipulation and cyberattacks.
• From SSF to ISF: The PLA-ISF replaces the previous PLA-Strategic Support Force (PLA-SSF), consolidating information networks and support operations under a single, more prominent command.
• Focus on New Forces: The creation of the Aerospace Force, Cyberspace Force, and Information Support Force within the PLA-ISF showcases the CCP's strategic emphasis on integrating emerging technologies into its military capabilities.
• AI Integration in PLA: China has been actively pursuing AI-enabled systems for military applications, including robotics, unmanned systems like the CH-4 drone, and potential applications in decision-making, missile guidance, and electronic warfare.
• AI and Gray Zone Activities: AI could significantly amplify the negative impact of gray zone activities, including social media manipulation, bot attacks, and distributed denial-of-service attacks.
• CCP's Push for AI Dominance: Xi Jinping's call for the PLA to prioritize "new domains and new qualities" aligns with China's national military-civil fusion (MCF) strategy to become the world's leading AI military power.
• China's AI Research Prowess: China's prolific research in AI, accounting for nearly 40% of global publications in 2021, combined with its methods of acquiring knowledge, raises concerns about the potential misuse of AI in the hands of the PLA.

Conclusion:

The PLA-ISF signifies a significant shift in China's military approach, with a heightened focus on integrating AI and emerging technologies. This development, coupled with China's aggressive AI ambitions and questionable ethical considerations, poses a potential threat to global security and necessitates close monitoring and international cooperation.