China leans in to hi-tech systems to counter emerging AI-fuelled terror threats

China revealed AI-powered drone interceptors and other uncrewed systems at an international counterterrorism forum in Beijing this week, as security experts warned that new technologies could enable new forms of terrorism.The equipment was on display at the Great Wall-2026 International Forum on Counterterrorism, which ran from Tuesday to Thursday and was attended by more than 320 defence experts and military delegates from 62 countries.Discussions focused on how advances in artificial intelligence and unmanned systems were enhancing counterterrorism capabilities while creating new and unconventional security risks.The hardware showcased included low-cost, high-speed interception drones equipped with artificial intelligence guidance systems designed to neutralise “low, slow and small” unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) with high precision and rapid response times.