The Washington Post reports that Chinese firms are using AI and open-source data to track US military movements during the Iran war.
Key Takeaways
- Chinese firms are using AI and open-source data to track US military activity during the Iran war.
- Companies with links to China’s military are marketing geospatial intelligence based on public data.
- US officials say the trend reflects growing challenges in concealing military operations.
Surge in Online Tracking
As the Israeli-US war on Iran intensified in recent weeks, a wave of detailed online posts began tracking US military movements across the Middle East.
According to The Washington Post, social media investigators identified posts “detailing equipment at U.S. bases, the movements of American carrier groups and granular breakdowns of how military aircraft were assembling for strikes on Tehran.”
The report said this information was not the result of traditional intelligence leaks, but rather the output of Chinese companies combining artificial intelligence with open-source data to generate and sell insights into US military activity.
It described the phenomenon as a “fast growing new market,” in which firms are “marrying artificial intelligence with open-source data to market information they claim can ‘expose’ the movements of U.S. forces.”
AI and Open-Source Intelligence
The companies rely on publicly available data, including satellite imagery, flight tracking systems, and maritime shipping information, which are processed using AI tools to produce detailed intelligence.
While such data has long been used for commercial purposes, The Washington Post noted that “the growing AI capability of Chinese firms is making these tools more powerful,” increasing their ability to track military activity.
The expansion of this sector is tied to China’s broader strategy of integrating civilian technological innovation with military objectives.
The report said Beijing has invested heavily in private firms developing AI applications with defense uses, channeling “hundreds of millions of dollars” into the sector as part of its civil-military integration strategy.
Companies Tracking US Forces
Among the companies highlighted is MizarVision, a Hangzhou-based firm founded in 2021.
The Washington Post reported that the company uses AI to analyze a combination of Western and Chinese data to “catalogue activity at U.S. bases in the Middle East, track naval movements and identify the position and number of specific aircraft and missile defense systems.”
Images and data attributed to the company and shared online detailed US military deployments in the region ahead of operations linked to the war on Iran.
These included the movement of carrier strike groups such as the USS Gerald R. Ford and USS Abraham Lincoln, as well as detailed breakdowns of aircraft activity at bases in Palestine, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar.
On its website, the company claimed that it had “quickly identified the locations of weapons and equipment deployed in the Middle East” and “exposed” refueling patterns of US carrier groups during the buildup to the conflict.
Data Sources and Limitations
The Washington Post reported that MizarVision does not publicly disclose the sources of its data.
However, analysis of its materials suggests the company relies on a mix of commercially available satellite imagery, flight tracking data, and shipping information, drawn from both Western and Chinese sources.
Some of the imagery used appears to come from European and US providers, though companies cited in the report said they do not knowingly supply data for such purposes and have restrictions in place during active conflicts.
A source familiar with the company’s operations said it uses AI to analyze publicly available data but “does not have real-time access to U.S. imaging sources.”
Additional Firms
The report also identified Jing’an Technology, another Chinese company involved in tracking US military movements.
The company claimed it had identified communications between US stealth bombers during the early stages of the war and tracked large volumes of military activity by analyzing data from multiple sources.
“In the eyes of AI, there is no absolute ‘stealth,’” the company said in a social media post describing its analysis.
It also claimed to have “cross-validated massive amounts of ship and flight data” and tracked more than 100 US warships and dozens of aircraft.
Some of this material was later removed from public platforms.
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(WaPo, PC, Social Media)
Good. Keep doing that, because we shouldn’t even be there. If any US troops are killed, it’s their own fault for not refusing to fight in yet another fake/manipulated war.
The People need to remove Trump and his entire administration immediately. All of them. It would be better to have no POTUS, than to have an actor who lies every single time he opens his mouth. POTUS is only a title. We can do better.