DeepSeek’s AI model being used to design new Chinese warplanes, leading engineer says

The artificial intelligence platform DeepSeek is being used to help with research and development for China’s most advanced warplanes, according to a leading aerospace engineer.

Wang Yongqing, the lead designer at the Shenyang Aircraft Design Institute, told state-owned Chinanews.com that his team had started using the technology to develop new technology for warplanes.

They had also conducted in-depth research on the potential uses of large language models – the technology behind AI models such as ChatGPT and DeepSeek – in analysing and resolving complicated problems based on practical needs, he added.

“The technology has already shown promising potential for application, providing new ideas and approaches for future aerospace research and development,” he said.

Wang, 60, has been working for the institute, a subsidiary of state-run Aviation Industry Corporation of China, for nearly four decades.

The institute has helped to design a number of fighter jets for the military, including advanced multirole warplanes such as the navy’s J-15 Flying Shark and the J-35 stealth fighter manufactured by Shenyang Aircraft Corporation.