AI as a Military Battleground: The Rise of AI Across All Fronts

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is now a present-day reality in nearly all human activities, following its former life in laboratories and in the novels of science fiction. AI's noteworthy and transformational role ranges from intelligent voice assistants in the household to quality improvement projects based on predictive analytics in healthcare. However, it is the military applications of AI that we are now witnessing the most pronounced and, possibly, unsettling effects.

Illustration by The Geostrata

The use of AI for official defence purposes has progressed from testing automations to being a principal construct for national defence around the world. AI is changing our world in a manner akin to the transformation from cavalry to mechanised infantry. The fast-paced integration of AI in the military is further creating new geopolitical alliances while allowing for the rapid escalation of violence during war, and is shaping global standards of security and stability.

AUTONOMOUS DEFENCE SYSTEMS: THE ROBOTIC VANGUARD

One of the most prominent developments in warfare that AI advances is the growth of autonomous weapon systems (AWS). AWS selects and engages targets with minimal human perception or decision-making. Autonomous drones and robotic systems spend significantly less time than human decision-making and can substantially improve tactical efficiencies. The U.S. has already used autonomous drones, for example, the X-47B,  and successfully conducted the first-ever Autonomous Aerial Refueling (AAR) of an unmanned aircraft in 2015.

Similarly, Russia tested a robotic tank, the Uran-9, during the Syrian Civil War, and China has made such investments to develop swarming drone products.

AWS as an AI-enabled system is a strategic asset that shifts and changes the nature and conduct of the battlefield. At the same time, there are concerns connected to AWS. The most significant concern is that of mistakes or miscalculation of algorithms, as major defence research work also suggests that if AWS is produced without a comprehensive, strong and deliberate process, unplanned conflict and escalation may end up taking place.

AI IN SURVEILLANCE AND INTELLIGENCE GATHERING

AI enables automated image and signal recognition, anomaly detection, and behavioural prediction, reducing complete reliance on human analysis and mitigating fatigue-induced errors. It supports “persistent surveillance” by scanning and flagging abnormalities across thousands of data points, making it invaluable in contested environments and hybrid warfare. 

With this realisation, countries like the United States, China, Russia, and Israel are at the forefront of integrating AI into their military intelligence frameworks. The U.S. Department of Defence’s Project Maven employs AI to analyse drone footage and identify targets with minimal human oversight, significantly accelerating decision cycles.

Further, China has invested in AI-backed facial recognition, surveillance drones, and satellite-based geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) to track military installations and cross-border activity, especially in contested zones. Israel’s defence technology integrates AI in predictive analytics to identify security threats through pattern recognition from intercepted signals and behaviour analysis. 

AI AND STRATEGIC MILITARY PLANNING

AI is changing the way military strategies are developed and executed. AI can support military planners with options for simulating operational environments, discovering weaknesses, and recommending tactical changes. A capability like this is especially important in cyber warfare and electronic warfare where speed is essential.

AI can analyse, discover, and respond to threats in milliseconds, providing a unique advantage in an increasingly kinetic environment driven by data and code. Additionally, Annie Jacobsen in “The Pentagon's Brain: An Uncensored History of DARPA” explicitly details the Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA) initiatives in developing AI-driven systems within military decision-making.

Image Credits: Rightful Owner

One of the notable projects is the Joint Assistant for Development and Execution (JADE), an AI-based planning system designed to expedite the creation of detailed military deployment plans during crisis situations.

GEOPOLITICAL SHIFTS AND INTERNATIONAL RIVALRY

The use of artificial intelligence in military strategy is fundamentally changing the relationship between states in world politics. An arms race over digital capabilities is already occurring among states.

The U.S., Russia, and China's developmental leadership is already overshadowing middle-power states such as Israel, India, and the U.K. Although the evolution of explosive technology and potentially lethal weaponised AI should not resemble the Cold War nuclear arms race in terms of rapid development, limited regulation, and brinkmanship, some parallels exist.

The Chinese military doctrine is now adopting "intelligentised warfare", which focuses primarily on the area of integration concerning artificial intelligence with quantum computing and big data.

At the same time, the United States is heavily investing in its new Joint Artificial Intelligence Center (JAIC) as it continues working to preserve its technological superiority. Further compounding factors such as no global, international norms and/or frameworks related to AI ideology serve to increase global tension, particularly related to Taiwan, Ukraine, and the South China Sea.

ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS AND GLOBAL RESPONSE

Consequently, the use of AI in warfare raises important considerations regarding ethics, including whether or not it is ethical for machines to determine life and death, and who is accountable when an autonomous system is unsuccessful. Human Rights Watch and other advocates have initiated efforts to prevent “killer robots” and to promote a global ban on lethal autonomous weapons.

At the same time, the United Nations has been convening formal discussions through the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW) about the future of warfare and how AI will change it.

Beyond international discussions, recent surveys of military technology have highlighted the need for ethics training for AI engineers and the need to preserve a “human-in-the-loop” ethic for any military systems. France and Germany have made calls for treaties at the international level, while the United States, China, and Russia are more hesitant to regulate as they believe agreements will only serve to slow the progress of technology and build national security problems.

FUTURE PROSPECTS

AI has forever changed warfare. From autonomous drones and real-time analytics on the battlefield, to networks of global surveillance and simulations of strategy, the change is underway, and it is accelerating. The world is not just on the verge of a military revolution; it is finding its feet. 

The unchecked militarisation of AI leads to a future with machines waging wars without accountability for the reasons or outcomes. Yet with smart and responsible governance, ethical foresight, and international cooperation, it can also be a meaningful tool to strengthen security without losing humanity. 

The battlefields of the future will not only be land, sea, or air—war will occur in algorithms, code, and clouds. How we are prepared for it will define whether AI is a weapon of mass destruction or whether it is a force for peace.

---

BY TANU NAGAR

TEAM GEOSTRATA

info@thegeostrata.com