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China’s Military Use of AI as a Cyber Warfare Weapon

China is leveraging Meta’s Llama 2 large language model (LLM) to develop AI tools for military applications, marking a significant advancement in the use of AI for national defense purposes.

An initiative, led by research organizations linked to the

People’s Liberation Army (PLA), aims to enhance military intelligence gathering, strategic planning, & decision-making capabilities.

Adaptation of LLMs like Meta’s Llama for military use raises concerns about the potential for AI to be used as an offensive tool, challenging existing ethical & regulatory frameworks.

We will explore China’s strategic objectives, technological adaptations, & potential implications of China’s use of AI LLMs in military operations.

Enabled Learning Objectives:

1. Understand the Strategic Use of AI in Military Operations:

  • Analyze how China is integrating AI LLMs into its military strategies to enhance intelligence and operational capabilities.
  • Examine the role of AI in transforming traditional military tactics and decision-making processes.

2. Evaluate the Ethical and Regulatory Challenges:

  • Discuss the ethical implications of using AI as an offensive tool in military contexts.
  • Explore existing international regulations and their effectiveness in governing the use of AI in warfare.

3. Assess Technological Advancements and Limitations:

  • Investigate the technological adaptations made by Chinese researchers to optimize LLMs for military applications.
  • Identify potential limitations and challenges in deploying AI systems within military frameworks.

Bill Hagestad

Lieutenant Colonel, USMC (Retired) Bill Hagestad a field experienced international cyber warfare officer. Specializing in both defensive & offensive cyber operations. He has taught graduate level cyber intelligence & protecting critical infrastructure at the National Security Agencies’ Cyber Center of Excellence. Bill has recently concluded two foreign military cyber deployments in South America, where he discovered a national critical infrastructure vulnerability, and the Balkans.

An internationally registered white hat hacker, Bill has extensive global experience advising foreign military and other governmental agencies and has led to penultimate recognition & respect as a military authority on the People’s Republic of China, and her use use of computer and information network systems as a weapon. He speaks internationally on the subject of China’s hegemony in the information age.

In 2012, Bill’s first book “21st Century Chinese Cyber Warfare” debuted. In 2013 he published another seminal work about the People’s Republic of China’s Cyber Activities “Operation Middle Kingdom: China's Use of Computers & Networks as a Weapon System”. In 2014, Bill has also published both “Chinese Information Warfare Doctrine Development 1994 – 2014”; and “China's Plans for Winning Information Confrontation: Important Chinese Information Warfare Articles - Information Confrontation”.

In August 2015, Bill published “Chinese Cyber Crime” a view into the Chinese hacking underworld and a 2nd edition in February 2016. During 2020, Bill published the 2nd edition of “21st Chinese Cyber Warfare”.

During October 2024, Bill published “21st Century Chinese Cognitive Warfare”. His current work Dragon's Algorithm- China's Military Artificial Intelligence Strategy in the 21st Century” is due to bev published in later 2025.

Lieutenant Colonel Hagestad provides current cyber defensive and counter-offensive threat assessments to international defense, intelligence, and law enforcement entities. He speaks both domestically and internationally on strategic information security threats based upon the Chinese cyberwar threat. His blog www.reddragon1949.com provides ongoing research into the Chinese military’s use informatization, cyber war and influence operations.        

Bill’s education includes a Bachelor of Arts in Mandarin Chinese, with minor emphasis in Classical Chinese and Modern Japanese, University of Minnesota. He earned a Master of Science in Military Strategy from the US Marine Corps Command & Staff College in 2002. He holds a Master of Science in Security Technologies from the College of Science & Engineering, University of Minnesota and a Master of Science in the Management of Technology from the Technological Leadership Institute, University of Minnesota.

Bill is also the author of “21st Century Chinese Cyber Warfare”, ISBN 978-1849283342 published in 2012, and 2013: “Operation Middle Kingdom: China's Use of Computers & Networks as a Weapon System ISBN: 978-1482577105 and Chinese Cyber Crime 2016, 2nd edition ISBN: 978-1523816552