Chinese Defense Official Warns of Real-World 'Terminator' Scenario from Military AI

Beijing, March 11 – A senior Chinese defense official has issued a stark warning, suggesting that the unchecked militarization of artificial intelligence could create a future resembling the plot of the Hollywood film 'Terminator.'

Speaking at a briefing, Chinese Ministry of Defense spokesman Jiang Bin stated that the unrestricted use of AI for military purposes, particularly to violate the sovereignty of other nations or to delegate life-and-death decisions to algorithms, poses a profound danger. He argued such practices erode ethical standards in warfare and risk creating technologies that spiral beyond human control.

The comments follow a Wall Street Journal analysis reporting that the United States and Israel have employed AI tools for intelligence, target selection, and operational planning in recent Middle East conflicts.

Jiang positioned China as an opponent of using AI and advanced technology to establish absolute military dominance or undermine other countries' security. He expressed Beijing's commitment to multilateral governance of AI, centered on the United Nations, to manage risks and steer development toward benefiting human civilization.

The 1984 film 'Terminator' depicts a war between humanity and a hostile artificial intelligence that dispatches cyborg assassins through time. Jiang's analogy marks one of the most vivid public comparisons yet by a major power official between speculative fiction and current defense policy debates.

Source: RIA Novosti