---
title: "Engineers of J-20 and J-36 stealth fighters warn of AI risks in military aviation"
description: "AVIC Chengdu engineers, developers of the J-20 and J-36 stealth fighters, warned in a scientific paper that AI may embed critical defects in military aviation due to inaccurate data."
date: 2026-08-21T16:16:01.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/avic-chengdu-ai-risk-j20-j36-en
tags: [ai, military, stealth-fighter, j-20, j-36, avic, china, artificial-intelligence]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Engineers of J-20 and J-36 stealth fighters warn of AI risks in military aviation

![Silhouette of a J-20 stealth fighter jet against a bright sky with engine smoke — illustration for the article on AI risks in military aviation](https://xab.info/media/2026/08/22/avic-chengdu-ai-risk-j20-j36/avic-chengdu-ai-risk-j20-j36-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- Engineers from AVIC Chengdu (developers of the J-20 and J-36) warned in a scientific paper about the risks of applying AI in military aviation.
- AI is effective in analytics and data processing but does not guarantee absolute accuracy.
- According to engineer Zhang Xianzhe, AI-generated content may contradict the laws of physics and real operational limitations.
- Using unverified AI data can lead to the embedding of critical defects at the stage of designing combat aircraft.

Engineers from the AVIC Chengdu Research Institute, responsible for developing the People's Liberation Army Air Force's primary stealth fighters—the J-20 and the prospective J-36—have publicly stated serious concerns regarding the application of artificial intelligence in the military sector. This warning was issued in a scientific paper published in *Information Studies: Theory & Application*, marking one of the few instances where developers of first and sixth-generation combat aircraft have openly pointed out the limitations of popular AI tools.

### Where AI truly accelerates work

According to the specialists themselves, large language models have already demonstrated high efficiency in analytical work. They are capable of rapidly processing large datasets and analyzing weapon characteristics, tasks that previously took human analysts significantly more time. In routine tasks involving information systematization and the preliminary review of technical descriptions, AI acts as a powerful accelerator, allowing designers to navigate huge flows of open and classified information more quickly.

### "Direct contradiction to the laws of physics"

However, lead engineer Zhang Xianzhe has called for extreme caution when integrating high technologies into defense projects. According to him, AI-generated content can "directly contradict basic laws of physics, design principles, or real operational limitations." In other words, the model may produce parameters that appear plausible at first glance but are physically impossible or technically unfeasible, making its conclusions unreliable without mandatory expert verification.

### Why accuracy is critical in fighter design

The design of any modern fighter begins with an analysis of the potential adversary's capabilities and future battlefield conditions. Designers must have precise answers regarding the coverage zones of enemy radars and the frequencies they use. These parameters form the basis of the aerodynamic scheme, radar cross-section, and electronic warfare complex; therefore, even a minor input error can distort the entire subsequent calculation.

### The cost of error at the design stage

Researchers emphasize that, despite high information processing speeds, AI currently cannot guarantee absolute accuracy. "In the high-risk military sphere, where the cost of error is maximized, using unverified data from AI can lead to the embedding of critical defects even at the combat aircraft design stage," Xianzhe summarized. Thus, the authors of the paper do not deny the usefulness of neural networks but insist that in defense engineering, AI must remain a support tool rather than a source for making design decisions.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [Inventing characteristics and weaponry: stealth fighter engineers discover AI danger](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/vigadue-harakteristiki-ta-zbroyu-inzheneri-1787319301.html) - Подтверждает заявление инженеров стелс-истребителей об опасности ИИ и его склонность «придумывать» характеристики и вооружение.
- [Engineers of J-20 and J-36 fighters reveal the danger of AI in the military sphere](https://novosti.ua/tech/inzhenery-stels-istrebiteley-predupredili-ob-opasnosti-ii-v-voennoy-sfere) - Подтверждает связь предупреждения с разработчиками J-20 и J-36 и тему риска ИИ в военной сфере.

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: Who issued the warning about AI risks in military aviation?
**A:** The warning was issued by engineers from the Chinese AVIC Chengdu Institute, responsible for developing the J-20 and J-36 stealth fighters; the position was articulated by lead engineer Zhang Xianzhe in a scientific paper.

### Q: What is the danger of AI in fighter design, according to the engineers?
**A:** AI is capable of generating data that contradicts the laws of physics and real operational limitations, and using unverified information can lead to the embedding of critical defects even at the design stage.

### Q: Do the specialists deny the usefulness of AI altogether?
**A:** No. Specialists acknowledge the high efficiency of large language models in analytics and data processing, but they insist on extreme caution and mandatory expert verification in the high-risk military sphere.