India has leveraged artificial intelligence (AI)-powered predictive tools to predict and successfully thwart an unprecedented Chinese attempt along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Arunachal Pradesh, Strategic Command Commander Lt. Gen. Dinesh Singh Rana said.
While speaking at the India AI Impact Summit 2026, military officials emphasized that AI is transforming modern warfare, strategic doctrine, and national security planning.
Recalling his tenure in Arunachal Pradesh, where he commanded the LAC security corps, Lt Gen Rana said locally developed low-cost AI systems helped detect early warning signs of China’s military buildup in the disputed areas. “Through some AI systems, we were able to see that something was building up. Eventually, we were able to predict the timing of their movements,” he said.
Describing China’s move as “unprecedented”, he noted that timely AI-powered intelligence operations ensured effective troop deployment and evacuation planning, with “no casualties” on the Indian side.
A global AI race to reshape warfare
Lt. Gen. Rana emphasized that AI is no longer a futuristic concept, but is at the heart of global power relations. He pointed to increased investment around the world, particularly by the United States and China, which he described as an ongoing “AI race.”
He added that AI goes beyond software to impact workforce development, infrastructure, military doctrine, and chain of command. Major nations are integrating AI into command and control systems, autonomous weapons, precision strikes, target identification, logistics, predictive maintenance, maritime domain awareness, electronic warfare, cyber defense, and counter-misinformation.
“In the cyber realm, AI-powered systems can identify vulnerabilities and close gaps to carry out advanced offensive operations and strengthen defensive capabilities,” he said.
Risks of artificial superintelligence
Lt. Gen. Rana warned that the transition from narrow AI to artificial superintelligence (ASI), if realized, will bring both opportunities and challenges.
Advanced AI is a dual-use technology that can be exploited by wrongdoers or used for strategic coercion, similar to Cold War-era nuclear deterrence. He said the digital nature of AI makes controlling nuclear proliferation much more difficult than nuclear technology.
Call for AI security principles for India
Citing lessons learned from the Russia-Ukraine conflict, he emphasized the need for scalable, low-cost AI battlefield systems that include autonomous drones, rather than relying solely on high-end capabilities.
He called on India to develop comprehensive AI security principles, integrate economic, cyber, space and military inputs, and enable leaders to assess the second- and third-order effects of strategic decisions.
“As we aspire to become a superpower, we must also become a responsible AI power, just as we are a responsible nuclear power,” he said, adding that once acquired, advanced AI capabilities will be used responsibly.
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