China’s military adopts DeepSeek AI for healthcare, non-combat roles
BEIJING, CHINA — China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has reportedly begun implementing DeepSeek, a Chinese AI tool, for non-combat support roles, particularly in military hospitals.
The General Hospital of the PLA Central Theatre Command recently authorized the ’embedded deployment’ of DeepSeek’s R1-70B large language model (LLM) to assist doctors in formulating treatment plans.
PLA demonstrates an increased dependence on cutting-edge artificial intelligence through this decision that aims to advance healthcare operations and achieve better medical results, especially in military hospitals.
Enhancing medical care and operational efficiency
Through its AI-based systems, the PLA General Hospital in Beijing, known as 301 Hospital, supports senior officials and military personnel. DeepSeek enables the People’s Armed Police (PAP) to utilize the system for both counseling therapy and physical training programs, which boost soldier performance while delivering enhanced mental health services.
Additionally, the hospital emphasized its commitment to safeguarding patient privacy and data security, ensuring that all sensitive information is stored and processed on local servers.
PLA uses DeepSeek at its hospital facilities to develop AI systems in a low-risk setting that helps improve technologies suitable for productive operational environments. Sam Bresnick from Georgetown University’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology points out that DeepSeek’s models utilized in hospital and soldier training facilities enable PLA to solve technical challenges in a controlled environment.
Bresnick told Firstpost that the non-combat use of large language models helps the PLA solve technical and operational problems in low-risk areas. This could lead to the development of sensitive, high-risk areas in the future.
Balancing AI and human decision-making
Artificial intelligence usage among the PLA remains cautious because the organization stresses human leadership in critical decision processes. Military operations benefit from AI technology as an enhancement tool for human judgment while maintaining operational flexibility combined with human accountability.
DeepSeek provides assistance to healthcare initiatives, production management, construction projects, and anti-corruption initiatives. It is designed for real-time data processing functions that can strengthen battlefield surveillance and intelligence, which makes it essential for boosting PLA operational effectiveness.
Future implications for healthcare, military modernization
It achieved worldwide victory by becoming the leading free App Store application after ChatGPT, which demonstrates China’s expanding role in AI technology development. This strategic implementation of DeepSeek’s R1-70B by the PLA demonstrates its commitment to military modernization and its policy of human supervision over military systems.
PLA still highlighted that AI should be a tool to guide but not a replacement for human decision-making on the battlefield because it lacks self-awareness capability.
