The South China Morning Post reported on November 8, that the Beijing Institute of Technology has recruited 31 ‘patriotic’ youngsters straight from high school to begin training as the world’s youngest AI weapons scientists in a new AI weapons development programme. The 27 boys and four girls, all aged 18 and under, have been selected for the four-year “experimental programme for intelligent weapons systems” at the Beijing Institute of Technology (BIT) from more than 5,000 candidates, the school said on its website. The BIT is one of the country’s top weapons research institutes, and the launch of the new programme is evidence of the weight it places on the development of AI technology for military use. A BIT professor said “These kids are all exceptionally bright, but being bright is not enough. We are looking for other qualities such as creative thinking, willingness to fight, a persistence when facing challenges. A passion for developing new weapons is a must … and they must also be patriots.” Each student will be mentored by two senior weapons scientists, one from an academic background and the other from the defence industry, according to the programme’s brochure. After completing a short programme of course work in the first semester, the students will be asked to choose a speciality field, such as mechanical engineering, electronics or overall weapon design. They will then be assigned to a relevant defence laboratory where they will be able to develop their skills through hands-on experience. BIT launched the programme at the headquarters of Norinco, one of China’s biggest defence contractors, on October 28. After completing the four-year course, the students are expected to continue on to a PhD programme and become the next leaders of China’s AI weapons programme, the institute said.A student representative Cui Liyuan said in an official statement “We are walking a new path, doing things that nobody has done before.”
|
