AI Defence Systems May Be Closer Than We Think

• Autonomous AI-enabled drones and unmanned vehicles raise several ethical questions.
• AI-enabled nuclear weapons could improve targeting accuracy and reduce the number of nuclear missiles on Earth.
• These military systems are quickly becoming an essential component of modern military operations.

The potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in military and defense settings is broad and is already being leveraged to streamline operations, enhance decision-making, and improve operational effectiveness.

But when it comes to warfare, AI’s application in unmanned drones, robots, and other vehicles has spurred a fresh wave of military innovation, one that could extend to nuclear rockets.

AUKUS

The latest integration of AI into unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in “contested environments” has gone well following the trials conducted by the U.S., U.K., and Australian military alliance, AUKUS.

Officially, AUKUS experts deployed the AI-enabled UAVs in March 2024  as part of the Resilient and Autonomous Artificial Intelligence Technology (RAAIT) amid the AUKUS advanced capabilities effort, or Pillar II.

As per the Aug. 9, 2024 press release from the U.S. Department of Defense, the tech is intended to “minimize the time between sensing enemy targets, deciding how to respond and responding to the threat.”

It says that once the tech has matured and been integrated into national platforms, the new systems can analyze and communicate more reliable data to commanders, providing them with the means of making quick and optimal decisions “against kinetic threats,”[…]all while enabling seamless joint and combined military operations involving multiple services and nations.”

Modern warfare already raises several ethical dilemmas when it comes to the implementation of remote-controlled or unmanned killing machines.

Nuclear-Capable?

Thanks in part to the 1991 film Terminator 2: Judgment Day, when an AI becomes self-aware and launches a global missile strike, we often think of the nuclear option when considering the “worst” outcomes of AI. But it would seem that AI-capable nuclear weapons may actually reduce the number of nukes on Earth.

In response to AI’s extraordinary growth, the U.S. Congress introduced legislation  to ban AI systems from nuclear weapon systems. This was followed by President Joe Biden signing an Executive Order  committed to the safe development of AI.

However, a physics professor at Oakland University, Steffan Puwal, questioned if AI should be banned from nuclear weapons systems in a NATO article  earlier this year. He notes that every industry and sector on the planet, especially the military, is implementing AI however it can, and that nuclear options shouldn’t be excluded.

Puwal posits that AI could benefit nuclear missile targeting systems, which would reduce the number of nuclear missiles in commission. He highlights that weapons have become substantially more accurate over the decades, reducing civilian casualties and improving operational success.

It is from the benefit of minimizing civilian casualties that NATO members have managed to ban weapons such as cluster bombs, which are used to attack indiscriminately. From this, there is the implicit idea that a nuclear weapon should hit the intended target instead of a “strategically pointless” nuclear carpet bombing.

It’s a bizarre paradox only present in the “deterrent” effect of nuclear weapons. By making them more accurate and capable of reacting to new situations, nukes become “safer” for anyone other than the intended target. Similarly, their heightened accuracy reduces the need for multiple rocket volleys and serves to reduce the number of nuclear weapons around the world.

AI in Defense

The use of AI in the military is contentious from a moral and ethical standpoint, but regardless of the philosophical upshots, AI is now a cornerstone of modern warfare.

AI can benefit the military in several ways. These include combat simulation, target recognition, threat monitoring, drone swarms, cybersecurity, and much more.

About the Author

Eddie Mitchell

Eddie has been writing news and content primarily for crypto news and industry players over the past seven years. With an eye for the bigger picture, Eddie prefers to investigate the broader implications of a story, as well as explore the weird and wonderful world of crypto. He believes blockchain has already changed the world, but observes the space overall with a skeptical and adoring eye.

See more

[email protected]