🔗 Share this article

"Such innovation constitutes the future threat," cautions Serhiy Beskrestnov, that recently obtained a recently captured enemy unmanned aerial vehicle.

This proved to be no ordinary device either, he discovered. Assisted by artificial intelligence, this drone can find and attack targets on its own.

The consultant has inspected many drones in his capacity as Ukrainian defence forces consultant.

In contrast to other models, it didn't send or accept any signals, causing it to could not disrupted.

Russian and Ukrainian militaries are testing AI in the conflict, and for certain tasks they are already deploying it, to assist in finding targets, gathering intelligence and clearing mines.

And for the nation's military, AI has become indispensable.

"Our military gets more than 50,000 video streams [from the front line] every month which are analysed by artificial intelligence," says Ukraine's defense official.

"It helps them quickly process huge volumes of information, identify targets and mark them on a digital chart."

AI-Driven Technology as a Strategic Asset

AI-empowered technology is seen as a instrument that improves military strategy, make the most of assets and ultimately protect personnel.

However when it comes to unmanned weapons systems, it is also revolutionizing the battlefield.

Ukrainian troops currently employ AI-based software so that unmanned aircraft fix on a target and then operate independently for the last few hundred metres till the mission is over.

Jamming is impossible and shooting down such tiny airborne device proves difficult.

In the future these systems will likely become completely independent armaments that can detect and destroy objectives by themselves.

All a soldier must do is tap a icon on a mobile application, explains Yaroslav Azhnyuk, chief executive of Ukrainian tech company.

The drone will do the rest, he says, locating the objective, dropping munitions, evaluating the impact and then coming back to base.

"And it would not even require piloting skills from the soldier," he continues.

Defensive Systems and Future Advancements

Interceptor drones with that kind of autonomous capability might significantly strengthen defensive systems targeting Russian long-range attack drones, like the notorious certain models.

"An AI-driven autonomous system can be superior to a person in so many ways," explains Azhnyuk. "It is sharper. It detects the objective faster than a person. It is quicker."

The deputy defence minister says such a technology does not exist yet, but he mentions Ukraine is nearing completing its development. "They've partially integrated it in some devices," states the deputy defence minister.

It's possible there will be many thousands of such systems in place by the end of 2026, claims the developer.

Concerns and Dangers of Full Independence

But Local developers are wary of completely relying on military technologies that rely entirely on AI, with no human involvement. The risk is AI might not differentiate a Ukrainian fighter from a hostile one, since both could be wearing the identical attire, says Vadym, who declined to give his surname.

The firm makes remote-operated automatic weapons, that employ artificial intelligence to automatically detect individuals and follow them. Due to worries about accidental attacks, he states they avoid including an auto-fire feature.

"It can be activated, but we need to get more experience and more feedback from the military units in order to understand when it is safe to use this feature."

Ethical Concerns and Global Rules

Additionally, there are fears that automated systems will violate the laws of armed conflict. How will they avoid injuring non-combatants, or tell apart soldiers who want to surrender?

According to the official, the ultimate choice in such circumstances must be made by a person, even if AI would make it "easier to decide". But it's not certain that states or militant factions will follow international humanitarian norms.

Therefore counteracting such technologies becomes increasingly important.

How do you stop a "mass of unmanned craft" when jamming or employing aircraft, armored vehicles or missiles is rendered ineffective?

The nation's highly successful "Web" mission, when a hundred drones targeted Russian air bases last June, is believed to be assisted by artificial intelligence.

Many in Ukraine worry that Moscow may replicate this approach, not just on the battlefront but further afield as well.

The country's leader warned the UN recently that AI was fueling "the worst weapons competition in human history."

He called for international regulations for the application of AI in weapons, and stated the issue is "just as urgent as stopping the spread of atomic arms."