The Rise of AI Warfare: How Autonomous Weapons and Cognitive Warfare Are Reshaping Global Military Strategy
From The Observatory
Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming more common in everyday life, including in warfare. Today’s military is developing AI technologies that can change how wars are fought. In the past, people controlled weapons and made decisions in battle. Now, machines are starting to take on those roles.
Drones are one example. Some are already being used in war and can fly, land, and even carry out missions on their own. These drones could soon become fully “autonomous,” meaning they act without human control. AI makes this possible by allowing machines to recognize images, understand languages, and make fast decisions. But these changes raise big concerns—like what happens if a drone makes a mistake and harms civilians?
Countries like the U.S., China, and Russia are racing to build powerful AI military tools. China calls this “intelligentized warfare,” and aims to control not just weapons, but people’s minds—through things like social media and information warfare. Russia, meanwhile, has tested AI drones and used AI to jam Ukraine’s communication systems. In Ukraine, both sides are using AI-powered tools, making it a real-time testing ground for this new type of war.
AI is also helping soldiers on the ground. New systems can give them real-time data, help translate foreign languages, and even make faster decisions in battle. But even the best AI needs to be accurate—misidentifying a target could cost innocent lives.
There are also threats from enemies who may try to “trick” AI systems by hiding data, feeding false information, or copying AI programs for their own use. While AI weapons are getting more advanced, they still face many challenges. Governments are trying to figure out how to use this powerful technology safely—before it’s too late.
Read the full article “The Rise of AI Warfare: How Autonomous Weapons and Cognitive Warfare Are Reshaping Global Military Strategy” by Leslie Alan Horvitz
🔭 This summary was human-edited with AI-assist.
