How Artificial Intelligence is Going to Impact the Military Defense Industry in the Coming Years

Jason Stathum
5 min readJan 22, 2024

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ai in defense industry

With the advent of the fourth industrial revolution, artificial intelligence (AI) has become a reality in today’s society, particularly in the armed forces. Military AI systems are more efficient at processing data than conventional systems. AI’s inherent computation and decision-making powers also help combat systems become more self-aware, self-regulatory, and self-actual.

Nearly every military application uses artificial intelligence, and it is anticipated that the need for AI-driven systems in the military will grow as a result of increasing research and development funding from military research organizations to create new and cutting-edge AI technologies.

AI in defense Industry

The AI in Defense industry Market was estimated at USD 5 billion in 2022 and is predicted to expand at a CAGR of 10% between 2023 and 2032. AI-integrated military systems can successfully handle large amounts of data and draw intelligent conclusions from the information gathered. In difficult warfare environments, advanced AI technology helps to improve target detection precision. AI can also be used in warfare to deliver improved solutions, as well as remote surgical support and evacuation operations. As a result of AI’s numerous benefits and uses, the military industry is expected to boost its usage of AI-driven systems.

Militaries and the Defense Industry can employ AI for the following:

  • Autonomous weapons and weapon targeting.
  • Surveillance
  • Cybersecurity
  • Homeland Security
  • Logistics
  • Autonomous vehicles

What is Defense Technology?

When technology is used for military purposes or to fight conflicts, it is referred to as defense technology. Certain forms of technology have a purely military or defensive character. These technologies are risky to handle without sufficient training. Defense technology is primarily intended for military use, although it has also been used for civilian reasons on several occasions. Furthermore, civilian-oriented technology has been adapted for military use.

Knowing What is Defense Technology is not a small subject. It can address a wide range of critical issues. Professional engineers and scientists do particular research and development on the technology employed in defense.

Important Requirements for the Successful Use of AI in Defense Industry

The invention of intelligent computers that are capable of doing activities that normally require human intellect, such as speech recognition, visual perception, decision-making, and language translation, is known as artificial intelligence (AI). While there are various ways to build AI systems, machine learning algorithms are the most often used technique. By training a computer program on a sizable dataset, machine learning is a sort of artificial intelligence (AI) that enables the program to learn from the data and make predictions or judgments based on that information.

The following list includes some essential conditions for the efficient use of AI in defense industry:

Data

AI systems rely heavily on high-quality data for training purposes. ChatGPT, the world’s most popular AI chatbot, was fed around 300 billion words routinely collected from the internet. In military applications, this data must be gathered from diverse sources cleaned, processed, and aggregated to assure its suitability for use.

Interoperability

AI systems must be able to communicate data and collaborate fluidly with other systems to be helpful in military settings. This can need the creation of shared data standards, Application Programming Interfaces, or other interoperability solutions. Furthermore, the three services will need to be completely networked to each other.

Computing power

AI algorithms demand a lot of processing power to process and analyze enormous volumes of data. This might include the utilization of high-performance computer systems, cloud computing, or other sophisticated computational resources. An additional issue is that a considerable volume of data must be handled at the edge (at or near the user). As a result, adequate computer capacity will be required to make judgments in a contested battlespace.

Security

AI systems employed in the military must be safe and shielded from cyber threats and assaults. The attacker might use AI to search for flaws in our systems and manipulate the data on which our AI systems rely. This will need the use of safeguards such as encryption, firewalls, and secure data storage via AI solutions.

Morality and Responsibility

The use of artificial intelligence in the military presents ethical and legal questions, notably over the extent of autonomy that AI systems can be afforded. There is a need to develop and apply strong ethical norms while ensuring that the deployment of AI is not unnecessarily delayed by these issues, causing us to lag behind our competitors.

Expertise

To develop and implement AI, a diverse team with skills in AI, computer science, data science, cybersecurity, ethics, and military operations will be required. Some of this knowledge can be unavailable within the military, necessitating the immigration of civilian people.

There are some significant Benefits of AI in Defense operations:

Artificial intelligence can compile all of the acquired data from numerous sensors and satellites and draw judgments. This can help military personnel make judgments on associated actions to be made.

Currently, sonar-equipped ships are widely employed to detect mines beneath water. However, with the progress of AI, submersible boats or vessels may be equipped with AI to detect mines. Detecting mines would be faster. It would inspect the object, identify it, and make an appropriate choice.

Military robots using artificial intelligence can perform operations or duties independently, saving human lives.

The number of unmanned vehicles, such as airplanes and combat tanks, will undoubtedly expand. This will allow for speedier decision-making, lower expenditures, and remove an officer from the hazards involved.

Some land-based combat vehicles might integrate AI and Machine Learning to improve aiming capabilities.

AI can help a drone take off and land without the need for human intervention, and it can even operate itself.

AI’s Role in the Military Future

Artificial intelligence will be a key component of military defenses in the future as they seek to develop and enhance military defense applications. All of these factors will contribute to increased output, reduced workload, and faster operation.

According to reports, the Pentagon wants to give the DOD $874 million to spend on military and defense technologies that use AI and ML. Furthermore, the military artificial intelligence program receives $2.3 billion from the Pentagon’s scientific and technology research budget.

As a result, money will be spent on artificial intelligence to advance unmanned technologies, hypersonic technology, direct energy, cyberweapons, etc. All indications are that with an increased budget, the military will employ AI and technology more frequently as they continue to do research. Soon, artificial intelligence development will alter the scope of the modern defense industry.

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Jason Stathum
Jason Stathum

Written by Jason Stathum

A Content Marketing Specialist with over 7 years of experience. I have been working for Parangat Technologies for the last 10+ years.

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