China deploys DeepSeek to build warplanes: Report
The development comes as China steps up its efforts to cut dependence on foreign AI technologies amid rising trade tensions and new US tariffs targeting its tech sector.
China’s indigenous artificial intelligence (AI) model DeepSeek is used to develop the most advanced warplanes, the South China Morning Post reported.
According to the report, Wang Yongqing, the lead designer at the Shenyang Aircraft Design Institute—a unit of the China state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC)—confirmed that his team has started using the AI model to develop new technology to design most advanced warplanes.
The report added that the DeepSeek model is applied to tackle complex engineering problems, with researchers conducting in-depth studies into the role of LLMs to solve practical problems.
Wang, who has spent nearly 40 years at the institute, has contributed to the development of several of China’s frontline military aircraft—including the J-15 Flying Shark and the J-35 stealth fighter—both developed by Shenyang Aircraft Corporation.
The development comes as China steps up its efforts to cut dependence on foreign AI technologies amid rising tensions and new US tariffs targeting its tech sector. Earlier this year, Hangzhou-based DeepSeek rattled the AI space by releasing a cost-efficient and open-source model, drawing comparisons to US rival OpenAI’s GPT series.
The company is also preparing to launch DeepSeek-R2, the successor to its earlier DeepSeek-R1 model. According to multiple media reports, the new version is expected to offer improved performance at a lower cost, making it an affordable alternative to high-end models like ChatGPT-4o.
Edited by Suman Singh
