Chinese scientists develop world’s first AI system to verify nuclear warheads

Chinese scientists have unveiled a groundbreaking artificial intelligence (AI) system capable of distinguishing real nuclear warheads from decoys, marking the first known AI-driven solution for arms control verification. 

The development, detailed in a peer-reviewed study published in April by researchers at the China Institute of Atomic Energy (CIAE), could significantly influence global disarmament efforts and spark new debates about the role of AI in nuclear security, Caliber.Az writes, citing Chinese media.

The AI-based protocol, named the “Verification Technical Scheme for Deep Learning Algorithm Based on Interactive Zero Knowledge Protocol,” is designed to verify the authenticity of nuclear warheads without revealing classified design information. Built on a China-US collaborative framework proposed over a decade ago, the system blends advanced cryptographic methods with nuclear physics.

The CIAE researchers said their system had overcome one of three major hurdles: training and testing AI using sensitive nuclear data. However, it still faces two major challenges — convincing Chinese military leaders of its security, and gaining international acceptance, particularly from the United States, which remains skeptical of abandoning Cold War-era verification mechanisms.

Due to the classified nature of nuclear weapons, researchers withheld specific data in their published paper, underscoring the tension between scientific transparency and national security.

The AI system was trained using Monte Carlo simulations to analyse neutron radiation patterns emitted by millions of virtual nuclear components. The researchers constructed a many-layered deep learning model capable of accurately distinguishing genuine warheads — containing weapons-grade uranium — from decoys made of lead or low-enriched materials.

To prevent the AI from accessing actual weapon designs, a physical barrier made of polythene with 400 small holes was placed between the real warhead and the inspection system. This method scrambles geometric data while allowing key radiation signals to pass through for analysis.

The researchers claim that when multiple rounds of randomised inspections are conducted using this system, the probability of successful deception approaches zero. Crucially, the AI determines a warhead’s chain-reaction capability — the defining feature of a nuclear device — without acquiring detailed design information.

To ensure thrust and transparency, the CIAE team said that the AI could be jointly coded, trained and verified by the inspecting and inspected party. Before testing the nuclear warheads, the AI deep learning software “must be sealed”, they said.

The announcement comes at a time of growing global concern over the militarisation of AI. While both the US and China have formally agreed not to use AI in nuclear launch decisions, the development of AI-powered defense infrastructure — such as the “Golden Dome” concept floated by the Trump administration — could see AI increasingly integrated into automated weapons systems for rapid global response.

By Sabina Mammadli