Jennifer Kavanagh, director of military analysis at Defense Priorities, said the most recent export controls seem aimed specifically at technologies that would allow China to leverage AI to process large amounts of information quickly in ways that would speed up battlefield response times or allow for shortcuts in the development and targeting of new weapons. “They may also be thinking about AI technologies that are able to ‘learn’ and adapt more quickly to changing situations or conditions which could allow them to more quickly overcome U.S. defenses,” she said.
The new controls will not stop technologies that are on track for 2027, Kavanagh said, referring to the deadline U.S. intelligence agencies believe that Chinese President Xi Jinping has ordered for the PLA to be ready for a Taiwan operation. “The prime target is probably capabilities that would be ready in 2035,” she added.
More on Asia

Featuring Jennifer Kavanagh
August 20, 2025

Featuring Lyle Goldstein
August 16, 2025

Featuring Lyle Goldstein
August 10, 2025

By Mike Sweeney
August 6, 2025

Featuring Dan Caldwell
August 5, 2025