Role of Artificial Intelligence in Defence

With its amazing developments, artificial intelligence in defence is turning to be a major tool recently

Artificial intelligence has permeated nearly every civilian business imaginable. It has altered the way individuals and businesses operate, and it is quickly becoming a necessary component of modern combat.

Use Cases of AI in Defence

Training

Training and simulation are diverse fields that use system and software engineering principles to build models that can assist soldiers in training on various combat systems used in actual military forces. Many sensor simulation programs have already been launched by the US Navy and Army.

Furthermore, augmented and VR technology techniques can be employed to construct effective, accurate, and dynamic training simulations. Both virtual agents and human soldiers benefit from the reinforcement tactics.

Surveillance

AI combined with geospatial analysis can aid in the extraction of important intelligence from networked devices such as radars and automatic identification systems. This information can aid in the detection of unlawful or suspicious actions and alert the appropriate authorities. IoT-enabled robots with AI and computer vision can also aid in target recognition and characterization.

Arms and Ammunition

AI-embedded technology is now implanted in cutting-edge weaponry. For example, advanced missiles can detect and analyze the firing range for kill zones without the need for human participation.

Use of AI in Militaries Around World

The United States, China, and Russia are among the frontrunners in employing cutting-edge technologies to boost their armies.

The United States Department of Defense issued its first AI strategy in 2019, calling for increased usage of AI systems throughout the army, from decision-making to problem forecasting, through investment and collaboration with private institutions in AI research.

China's government has also pushed for greater AI and ML-based military technology innovation.

President XI Jinping has called for military-civil fusion-style innovation,' which has also found a home in China's national plan.

According to the corporation, the Blowfish A2 model can perform complicated military operations including fixed-point time detection and target precision strikes autonomously. Importantly, in 2017, China unveiled its State Council AI Plan, which describes the country's ambitious initiative to develop a 150 billion RMB AI industry.

Russia's military capability is well-known around the world. The country's equivalent of DARPA in the United States is called Foundations for Advanced Research Projects. On the army AI front, high authorities have been observed backing the development of AI-based technology. According to reports, the Russian defense services are considering leveraging AI, big data, and machine learning to undertake more impactful intelligence activities. Russia is currently investing extensively in artificial intelligence (AI) for the identification, analysis, and refutation of misinformation, both in the military and commercial sectors.

Challenges Ahead

One of the primary challenges with deploying AI-based technologies is the financial and expertise investment required. How much we can afford to supply infrastructure capabilities for constructing such technologies is a huge challenge, especially for middle-income nations like India, where a large portion of the population is still poor. One possible answer is for governments to identify which AI projects are important for national security and to strive toward them.

The deployment of AI in defense also raises ethical concerns. Experts and organizations all across the world have developed such technologies, inadvertently raising tensions between nations. One of the justifications is that if an AI system fails to perform as designed, the consequences could be disastrous. Indeed, numerous human and civil rights organizations have called for an outright prohibition on autonomous defense systems, particularly weaponry.