North Korea has tested the Zam-2.0 torpedo / The system uses artificial intelligence to detect and track targets

North Korea announced Saturday that it had tested a “new type” precision torpedo called Zam-2.0, which uses artificial intelligence for target detection and guidance. The underwater test took place on Thursday, according to the official KCNA news agency.

Pyongyang claims the torpedo is a super-fast system with high-precision guidance, while artificial intelligence technology enables it to identify and track targets. Over the past five years, North Korean authorities say more than 180 series of tests have been conducted to develop the system.

According to analysts cited by AFP, the use of artificial intelligence could enable the torpedo to perform evasive maneuvers, make autonomous decisions, and distinguish real ships from decoys used to counter underwater attacks. Professor Lim Eul-chul says Pyongyang is seeking to demonstrate that U.S. strategic assets can be made vulnerable.

The announcement comes after tests of strategic cruise missiles launched from submarines and the unveiling of a hypersonic missile capable of altering its trajectory at low altitude with the help of artificial intelligence.

Leader Kim Jong Un called in September for the accelerated development of artificial intelligence for weapons systems. Pyongyang’s progress is also being analyzed in the context of suspected Russian military support, while speculation about a possible meeting between Kim Jong Un and Donald Trump is intensifying.