Colonel Feng Yanghe, a prominent figure in China's military artificial intelligence (AI) field, was laid to rest at Beijing's Babaoshan Revolutionary Cemetery on Saturday. Feng, who played a crucial role in developing AI software for military simulations, passed away in Beijing on July 1 at the age of 38 while en route to a significant mission. The cause of his death has not been disclosed.
The funeral committee confirmed that the ceremony took place at Babaoshan, signifying Feng's status as a military "martyr" who died in the line of duty. It is noteworthy for a mid-ranking officer to receive such recognition, but military researcher Zhou Chenming suggested that it reflects Feng's remarkable contribution to AI in the military. Zhou highlighted Feng's pioneering work in the field and the widespread application of AI technology in Chinese war games, describing his premature passing as a significant loss for the People's Liberation Army.
Feng, an associate professor at the National University of Defence Technology (NUDT) in Changsha, Hunan province, led the teams responsible for developing the "War Skull I" and "War Skull II" AI programs used by the PLA in simulating joint military operations. These programs have consistently won top honors in China's military simulation competitions from 2019 to 2021, as reported by NUDT.
Born in Pingliang, Gansu province, Feng joined NUDT at the age of 18 in 2003. He pursued further studies at Harvard University and the University of Iowa, focusing on statistics and high-performance computing, respectively, as part of a joint training program. After completing his doctorate in 2014, Feng continued to teach, conduct research, and supervise doctoral candidates at NUDT. Over the past decade, he published over 60 papers and led numerous national and provincial scientific research projects, according to the university.
While an anonymous military insider stated that Feng's untimely demise resulted from a traffic accident involving a taxi and a truck, questions have been raised online about the lack of transportation arrangements for mid-ranking officers involved in critical tasks. In the People's Liberation Army, only senior officers with the rank of major general or above are provided with private service cars and personal assistants.
Colonel Feng Yanghe's contributions to the field of military AI will be remembered, as his work has left a lasting impact on the development of AI technologies in the Chinese military.
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