As the United States is engaged in one of its most stretched wars in a couple of decades, Chinese companies are silently using artificial intelligence (AI) and open-source data for surveillance of the US military on the battlefield.

According to a report by the Washington Post, much of the intelligence with strikingly detailed insight visible across social media appears to originate from private Chinese companies, some with links to the Chinese military-industrial ecosystem. These companies are bringing intelligence tools to market that claim to "expose" US military activities in near real time.

While China has kept a distance from the ongoing war between the US and Iran, signalling a strategic neutrality with strong advocacy for peace, Chinese private companies have processed satellite imagery, flight trackers, and shipping data through AI to reveal the precise location of US aircraft carriers and military bases.

These companies are part of Beijing's broader effort to integrate private sector innovation into defence capabilities, backed by significant government investment under its civil-military integration strategy, the Washington Post reported.

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Such a capability reflects a wider shift in modern warfare, where data is easily weaponised. However, the US officials and analysts are divided on the severity of this threat. Some officials question whether these devices are being actively used by adversaries. Some warn that their increasing sophistication could make it difficult for the US to conceal military activities in future conflicts.

At the centre of these activities is a Chinese firm, MizarVision. It is a Hangzhou-based firm founded in 2021, which uses a combination of Western and Chinese data sources filtered through advanced AI systems.

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MizarVision has reportedly tracked down the US naval movements, identified aircraft deployments, and monitored activity at the US military bases across West Asia.

The images from the firm have circulated online, showing detailed breakdowns of US force concentrations ahead of key operations, including the buildup preceding Operation Epic Fury.