HONG KONG, May 30. /TASS/. Chinese scientists have developed the world's first artificial intelligence (AI) system capable of distinguishing real nuclear warheads from decoys without exposing design details, the South China Morning Post reports.

The system combines the methods of nuclear physics and deep learning. "Researchers generated millions of virtual nuclear components - some containing weapons-grade uranium, others disguised with lead or low-enriched materials. A many-layer deep learning network was trained on neutron flux patterns, achieving extremely high accuracy in distinguishing real warheads," the paper writes.

In order to protect classified information, a "polythene wall was erected between the inspection system and real warhead, scrambling neutron signals and masking warhead geometries while allowing radiation signatures to pass."

The system was developed by a team of scientists from the China Institute of Atomic Energy (CIAE), a key subsidiary of the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC). According to the newspaper, the technology may be used in future arms control talks but there are concerns about the risk of AI-related leaks in the field of strategic weapons.