The global military infrastructure is undergoing major alterations and a high rate of technological development. When the President of America, Joe Biden said,
“We’re going to see more technological change in the next 10 years than we saw in the last 50.”
He was referring to the blatantly obvious. Artificial intelligence is now developing quickly, and its use in the military has significantly altered how combat is engaged in. What was formerly thought of as science fiction is now an unraveling reality. This field of technology is altering everything, from drones and autonomous armaments to decision-making algorithms and surveillance systems.
Kai-Fu Lee, former president of Google China and CEO of Sinovation Ventures in his book “AI 2041: Ten Visions for Our Future,” said,
“Autonomous weaponry is the third revolution in warfare, following gunpowder and nuclear arms.”
In his words,
“The evolution from land mines to guided missiles was just a prelude to true AI-enabled autonomy—the full engagement of killing: searching for, deciding to engage, and obliterating another human life, completely without human involvement.”
While the benefits of AI in warfare are undeniable, there are also ethical concerns and questions about the impact of this technology on the future of military conflicts, but first, a dive into what the progress has been so far.
Progress in AI Warfare
According to a
Presently, one of the most significant advancements in AI warfare is the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), often referred to as drones. These vehicles have been used extensively in military operations for reconnaissance, intelligence gathering, and targeted strikes.
During the most recent escalation of the
The continuing conflict between Russia and Ukraine has also revealed previously unseen uses of AI-powered drones in combat. While
A few years ago a short dystopian movie that illustrates what a type of drone powered by AI (called slaughterbots) can do was shared by the Future of Life Institute on their website. At the time, they were mere projections. But today, these lethal AI-enhanced autonomous weapons, sometimes referred to as “killer bots” are now in use on the battlefield.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPqmC16ewYg&embedable=true
The
In recent years, drone technology has become more sophisticated, with AI algorithms enabling them to make decisions based on real-time data analysis. According to Jyoti Sinha, CTO at Omnipresent Robot Technologies.
“In tactical warfare, AI-powered swarm drones can carry out simultaneous destruction and dismantling of multiple targets using precise swarm configurations and hover localization even when less sophistication is available with guided defense equipment…While targeting enemy frontlines, even if some of the drones are attacked, the cognitive AI algorithms kick in and reconfigure the drone network positioning to maintain situational awareness and aid in the completion of the mission.”
Some examples of these AI-enabled autonomous weapons include the Turkish-manufactured Bayraktar TB2 which has both armed attack and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities and the
Boeing also unveiled in 2020, what it called the First loyal Wingman Aircraft designed to fly and fight of course autonomously alongside crewed aircraft like fighter jets. Its name, Loyal Wingman, comes from the company's description of it as a "faithful ally."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJpeWAxk2So&embedable=true
Although these developments in the application of artificial intelligence to military technology have their benefits, there are concerns that they might lead to a loss of control over military operations and have unanticipated repercussions.
Ethical Concerns
The fast track of progress recorded in the field of military technology prompts ethical questions about their application both in warfare and outside of warfare. For instance,
The possibility of AI systems malfunctioning or being compromised, with undesired or even disastrous results, is also one of the biggest concerns, in addition to issues with these systems' accountability, particularly when autonomous weapons have to choose who to attack and when to do so.
In a recent document titled "Political Declaration on Responsible Military Use of Artificial Intelligence and Autonomy," the US State Department called on nations developing AI to employ technology in military operations in a morally and responsibly acceptable manner.
The US government claims to agree that using artificial intelligence (AI) in the military can and should be ethical, responsible, and enhance global security, therefore putting out its own framework and inviting other nations to join in agreement.
However, concerns have been raised about how far the statement can go in keeping military technology within the bounds of morality because it is unclear exactly what kinds of autonomous or AI-powered systems are included in the declaration.
Another concern is the role of humans in decision-making on the battlefield, and the potential for AI to dehumanize warfare and make it more destructive. The idea of machines having the freedom and capability to take human life is morally abhorrent, according to Secretary-General of the United Nations António Guterres. In a
“The impacts of new technologies on warfare are a direct threat to our common responsibility to guarantee peace and security.”
After the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, four years later, we see both the fears becoming real and the fulfillment of such prophecies beginning to creep in. According to an
Russia, for example, has been utilizing "loitering munitions" like the Russain made
Guterres believes that less monitoring of such munitions poses a great challenge, as it jeopardizes attempts to mitigate threats, prevent escalation, and uphold international humanitarian and human rights law. In an
“Lethal autonomous weapons threaten to become the third revolution in warfare. Once developed, they will permit armed conflict to be fought at a scale greater than ever, and at timescales faster than humans can comprehend. These can be weapons of terror, weapons that despots and terrorists use against innocent populations, and weapons hacked to behave in undesirable ways. We do not have long to act. Once this Pandora’s box is opened, it will be hard to close.”
The Future of Military Technology
In addition to the aforementioned concerns, it is unclear what effect AI technology will have on global politics and geopolitical stability in the nearest future. However, the development of military technology, according to
While at the Global Emerging Technology Summit of The National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence, the US Secretary of Defense, Lloyd J. Austin
“AI is central to our innovation agenda, helping us to compute faster, share better, and leverage other platforms. And that’s fundamental to the fights of the future.”
The US Department of Defense, he stated, will invest an estimated $1.5 billion dollars over the next five years in an effort to accelerate the adoption of AI.
Russia, on the other hand, has declared AI a national priority and has launched several initiatives to develop and deploy AI applications. Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin via live video said,
“Artificial intelligence is the future, not only for Russia but for all humankind, whoever becomes the leader in this sphere will become the ruler of the world.”
Although it spends less on defense than the US and China, Russia has set a goal of having
There are different opinions and predictions about who will win the AI arms race, but ultimately, both that and the future of AI as it applies to warfare, in general, is not clearly predictable. However, the distinction between science fiction and practical reality may have begun to fade.