Story perspectives

North Korea Tests AI-Guided Zam-2.0 Torpedo System

By Drooid · Oct 17, 2026, 10:54 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

North Korea tested the AI-powered Zam-2.0 torpedo system on Saturday.
State media said the torpedo is super-speed, precisely guided and uses AI for target detection.
The test confirmed propulsion after more than 180 propulsion trials over five years.
The torpedo test followed Wednesday’s launch of two submarine-launched strategic cruise missiles.
Kim Yo Jong claimed the October 3 hypersonic missiles also employed artificial intelligence.

History

Historical Context

After Chuck Hagel’s 2014 “Third Offset” urged AI-driven warfare, the U.S. Department of Defense created the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center in June 2018, when DoD AI spending had risen to $7.4 billion (2016). In February 2022 JAIC merged into the Chief Digital and AI Office. North Korea’s October 2024 Zam-2.0 torpedo test, announced by Kim Yo Jong, echoes this push, heightening the AI arms race that UN diplomats struggle to regulate.

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Story summary

North Korea tested the AI-powered Zam-2.0 torpedo system on Saturday.
State media said the torpedo is super-speed, precisely guided and uses AI for target detection.
The test confirmed propulsion after more than 180 propulsion trials over five years.
The torpedo test followed Wednesday’s launch of two submarine-launched strategic cruise missiles.
Kim Yo Jong claimed the October 3 hypersonic missiles also employed artificial intelligence.

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