A Chinese blog recently cited foreign media reports that China is developing an artificial intelligence (AI) submarine to attack enemy aircraft carrier battle groups. It said China’s large unmanned submarines will rely on AI and the cost of these submarines will be low and their combat effectiveness will be very high. It said China has conducted unmanned naval vessel research and development tests in several locations. Among them Zhuhai has the world’s largest AI Naval Vessel Test Base. It revealed that the Chinese Academy of Sciences Institute of Automation at Shenyang, which focuses on the mechanism of underwater autonomous robot technology, said that China is developing super-large unmanned submarines with various uses and integrated systems.  The agency also pointed out that western countries, such as the United States, are also developing unmanned combat platforms, including submarines. Chinese Navy itself is developing AI systems for commanders of ordinary submarines. This system will help to improve decision-making.

Acknowledging that Western experts believe that the combat capability of these Chinese AI submarines will be relatively limited initially, it quoted unnamed "relevant experts" to say that the design of China’s AI submarines will be focused, and that "it will be targeted at the US super carrier battle group which is active in the strategic waters of Western Pacific and the Indian Ocean". Western experts believe that the unmanned submarine in China will work together with the artificial intelligence combat platform of land, sea, air and space to carry out systematic and integrated operational tasks. However, these AI unmanned submarines can also independently and automatically complete their tasks, and go to all corners of the world for long-term combat. These submarines can sail for several months reaching to the far sea combat areas, thus achieving great deterrence. Its artificial intelligence is sufficient to cope with a variety of marine environments, flexibly change direction and depth according to specific circumstances, detect the enemy's attack, and counterattack. Moreover, these submarines will have the ability to distinguish targets, and even distinguish the models of civil and military ships. If the purpose of the mission is achieved, it can automatically return to China's naval base. Even if these AI submarines lose their connection with their own ground command system, they can still fight for a long time, update information, obtain new operational instructions and tasks, and set up software updates. They can also choose to be completely silent and complete the special combat tasks independently.