AI-wielding tech firms are giving a new shape to modern warfare
Much of the Western military hardware used in Ukraine sounds familiar to any student of 20th-century warfare: surface-to-air missiles, anti-tank weapons, rocket launchers and howitzers. But Ukraine’s use of Western information technology, including artificial intelligence (ai) and autonomous surveillance systems, has also had a powerful, if less visible, impact on Russian forces. Commercial vendors supply Ukrainian troops with satellites, sensors, unmanned drones and software. The products provide reams of battlefield data which are condensed into apps to help soldiers on the ground target the enemy. One American defence official calls them, appreciatively, “Uber for artillery”.
Behind this new form of warfare are some of the most unconventional minds in American tech. Everyone knows about Elon Musk, whose rocket company SpaceX put Starlink satellites at the service of Ukraine (though he has now restricted access from the battlefield). Your columnist recently met two other iconoclastic entrepreneurs. One is Palmer Luckey, a 30-year-old who in 2017 co-founded Anduril, a maker of surveillance towers, drones, unmanned submarines and an AI-driven system that supports them, called Lattice. With his trademark flip-flops, Hawaiian shirts and goatee, he is an atypical defence contractor (Tony Stark, Marvel’s gadget-obsessed “Iron Man”, springs to mind). Yet the startup is already shaking up the traditional model of military procurement in America. In its short life, it has won contracts in America and Australia. It provides autonomous systems to Ukraine. When it last raised money in December, it was valued at $8.5bn.
The other is Alex Karp, an eccentric doctor of philosophy with an Einstein-like mop of hair. (Mr Karp used to sit on the board of The Economist’s parent company.) Palantir, his Denver-based software firm, builds digital infrastructure to help clients manage lots of data, be it on…
2023-02-16 10:33:50
Source from www.economist.com
The world of modern warfare is changing. No longer is it focused solely on traditional tactics such as ground troop deployment, air strikes, and tanks. The modern battlefield is now being shaped by the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
As AI technology continues to mature, tech companies are increasingly exploring its uses in modern warfare. This has led to the emergence of AI-powered weapons and technologies that make military operations more efficient. For example, AI-equipped drones are used to survey a battlefield and identify threats, while computer vision technology helps to accurately identify targets and minimize collateral damage.
Another use of AI in modern warfare is in the form of automated weapons systems. Autonomous machines and vehicles can be programmed to complete specific tasks without requiring the input of a human operator. This could include locating targets, firing weapons, and even intercepting enemy fire. Such systems are advantageous for military operations as they remove the risk of civilian casualties, fewer casualties among the troops, and can endure hostile boundaries for too long with ease.
AI technology also has broader uses for military operations. From improving navigation systems and providing real-time intelligence to intelligent analysis of data from various sources and smart battlefield management, AI is being used in a variety of ways to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of modern warfare operations.
Overall, AI is transforming the nature of modern warfare. The utilization of AI-powered weapons, systems, and technologies is making military forces more effective and efficient, while also reducing the risk of casualties to civilians and troops alike. The development of such technology is continually advancing, and it is only a matter of time before we begin to see AI utilized in warzones around the world.
