China unveils a new system based on artificial intelligence capable of distinguishing between real and fake nuclear warheads.

Chinese scientists have unveiled a new system based on artificial intelligence capable of accurately distinguishing between real and fake nuclear warheads, marking a global first in nuclear weapons verification. This innovation was announced through a research paper published last April by researchers at the China Institute of Atomic Energy (CIAE), a part of the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC). The invention has sparked widespread debate about the increasing role of artificial intelligence in managing weapons of mass destruction and the future of nuclear safeguards. The study reveals that this project is based on a joint verification protocol proposed by scientists from China and the United States over a decade ago, which faced numerous obstacles preventing its practical application. The delays, according to researchers, stem from the difficulty of training and testing artificial intelligence using sensitive data related to nuclear warheads, as well as challenges in convincing Chinese military leadership that the system does not pose a threat to national security. Some countries, such as the United States, have expressed doubts about this invention.