How can AI be Applied in Military Operations?

Aerospace and Defense Review | Wednesday, June 26, 2024

With new ways to use AI continuously evolving, it can be challenging to keep up with how it can improve military operations. As AI becomes increasingly essential, military power will be characterized by the performance of its algorithms rather than the size of its army. Therefore, it is worth investigating how the military presently utilizes AI and how it might employ AI in the future.

Fremont, CA: AI applications in the military have become crucial to its operation, and their value will only increase. Understanding AI's potential is critical for harnessing it in current military operations. Equally important is understanding the potential security threats and ethical concerns that may arise when AI is deployed in a military setting. The Pentagon's new autonomous weapon policy update demonstrates how the Department of Defense addresses these concerns to guarantee that the employment of AI serves US Army objectives.

AI can help with every element of military activity, from operations planning to troop transportation and personnel training to medical care. However, for the systems to be functional, they must be implemented by best practices and in a way appropriate for the task at hand.

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Warfare Systems                        

AI can be used in warfare systems such as weaponry, sensors, navigation, air support, and surveillance to boost productivity and reduce reliance on human input. This increased efficiency implies that these systems require less maintenance. Taking away the necessity for complete human management of military systems lessens the impact of human error while also freeing up humans' bandwidth for other critical activities.

The Pentagon has modified its autonomous weapons strategy to reflect current breakthroughs in AI. Certain technological advancements have forced this change since the policy's inception in 2012. The update includes recommendations for the safe and ethical production and utilization of autonomous weapons, among AI's most valuable military applications. In addition to evaluation and testing requirements, the policy establishes a working group on autonomous weapons systems to advise the Department of Defense.

Target Recognition

Artificial intelligence can help enhance the accuracy of target recognition in combat scenarios. AI can help systems like this better recognize their targets' positions. It can also help military forces gain a thorough awareness of an operation region by evaluating reports, papers, news, and other sources of information, gathering and analyzing them faster than humans can. With generative AI's conversational abilities, there can be a two-way conversation about this information, allowing military decision-makers to ask questions to ensure the most critical information is revealed. AI systems can forecast enemy conduct, foresee weaknesses, weather, and environmental circumstances, evaluate mission strategies, and propose mitigation techniques. This can save time and human resources by sending soldiers ahead of their targets, but it still requires humans to make the final choice.

Threat Monitoring

Threat monitoring, or situation awareness, employs information gathering and analysis operations to support various military objectives. Unmanned systems can be remotely controlled or sent on predetermined routes. These technologies use artificial intelligence to help defense personnel detect threats and leverage their situational awareness. AI-enabled drones can also be employed in similar scenarios. They may monitor border areas, identify dangers, and notify response teams. Furthermore, they can improve the security of military bases and increase the safety of soldiers in combat.

Transportation

AI can assist with transporting ammo, cargo, munitions, and personnel. The logistics and delivery of these items are critical to the effectiveness of military operations. AI can cut transportation expenses and the need for human intervention by, for example, calculating the most effective route to take under present circumstances. It can also predict problems for military ships to improve their performance. As computer vision innovation and autonomous decision-making continue to bring self-driving vehicles closer to commercial use, this technology may also be helpful in the military setting. 

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