Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi
New Delhi, Feb 18: India successfully deployed artificial intelligence (AI)-powered predictive tools to anticipate and counter an unprecedented Chinese move along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Arunachal Pradesh, Lt Gen Dinesh Singh Rana, Commander-in-Chief of the Strategic Forces Command, has said.
Addressing the India AI Impact Summit 2026, the senior military official underscored that AI is reshaping modern warfare, strategic doctrines, and national security planning.
Recalling his tenure commanding a Corps responsible for LAC security in Arunachal Pradesh, Lt Gen Rana revealed that a locally developed, low-cost AI system enabled early detection of warning indicators pointing to a Chinese military build-up in a disputed sector.
“We could see through some AI systems that something was building up. Finally, we were able to predict the timing of their move,” he said.
Describing the Chinese action as “unprecedented,” he noted that timely AI-enabled intelligence facilitated effective force positioning and evacuation planning, resulting in “no casualties” on the Indian side.
Lt Gen Rana emphasised that AI is no longer a futuristic concept but a central factor in global power equations. Referring to the rapid advancements by major powers such as the United States and China, he described the developments as part of an ongoing global “AI race.”
He observed that AI’s influence extends beyond software, shaping workforce capabilities, infrastructure, military doctrine, and command structures. According to him, leading nations are integrating AI into command-and-control systems, autonomous weapons, precision targeting, logistics, predictive maintenance, maritime domain awareness, electronic warfare, cyber defence, and countering misinformation.
“In the cyber domain, AI-powered systems can both conduct sophisticated offensive operations and strengthen defensive capabilities by identifying vulnerabilities and plugging gaps,” he said.
Lt Gen Rana cautioned that the transition from narrow AI to artificial superintelligence (ASI), if realised, would present both opportunities and significant challenges.
Terming advanced AI a dual-use technology, he warned that it could be misused by rogue actors or leveraged for strategic coercion, drawing parallels with nuclear deterrence during the Cold War. Unlike nuclear technology, however, controlling the proliferation of AI would be far more difficult due
Drawing lessons from the Russia-Ukraine conflict, he stressed the importance of scalable and cost-effective AI-driven battlefield systems, including autonomous drones, rather than exclusive reliance on high-end platforms.
He called for India to formulate a comprehensive AI security doctrine that integrates economic, cyber, space, and military dimensions, enabling leadership to evaluate second- and third-order consequences 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,” Lt Gen Rana asserted, adding that advanced AI capabilities, once developed, would be exercised with responsibility.