Much of the recent news on Artificial Intelligence has focused on its civilian uses and implications. However, AI also brings a significant impact on National Defense throughout the world, and has the potential to change the very nature of warfare in the future. In the Indian context, AI can be used in four main areas of defense:

First, logistics and supply chain management. This is the lowest hanging fruit, one which will show immediate results, and drive up the efficiency of the military. Importantly, it could also provide a boost to private sector involvement in this space, by helping lay a foundation of trust for deeper engagement with the Indian military. There already exists significant expertise within the civilian sector on deploying AI for logistics and supply chain management, which can be easily transferred to the military domain.

Second, data management and enhanced ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance) capabilities. The Indian military obtains vast amounts of data every day, a significant part of which might often be unused or underused. AI can be used to process this data to provide more actionable intelligence for the Indian armed forces. This also has the capability of providing greater on-field support for human warfighters. A good example of such use of AI is Project Maven in the United States, where machine learning algorithms are used to sift through the massive amounts of video data the U.S military collects and provide credible intelligence for use in counter-insurgency operations. AI systems could also prove to be valuable in physical ISR, especially in harsh terrains and weather conditions. This could be the high Himalayas bordering Pakistan and China, or undersea patrolling in the Indian Ocean. Such systems, whether manned or unmanned, will allow the forces to scout the battlefield without danger to human soldiers.

Third, weapon systems. AI can enhance the efficacy of existing weapon systems and even lead to an entire new class of weapons. This is arguably the most controversial potential use of AI in military operations. The use of AI in weapon systems has the potential to lead to the development of autonomous weapons, which are weapons that can theoretically choose and engage targets without human intervention. The potential development of autonomous weapons has generated an intense and growing international debate on their legality and morality. It is however possible to have weapon systems with specific AI functionalities that need not necessarily make them completely autonomous and could act in conjunction with human soldiers. Semi-autonomous drones for instance could act as wingmen to human pilots, providing the pilots with a significantly greater variety of on-field options to choose from.

Four, Cybersecurity. This can be used both for ISR activities and as a weapon system (whether offensive or defensive). Cyber operations, especially those that are defensive in nature, are also a relatively low-hanging fruit that could considerably enhance current capabilities. Trained AI systems could prove to be far more efficient than humans in ferreting out cyber-threats and responding to them. As cyberwarfare becomes increasingly faster, more sophisticated, and more dangerous, it is unlikely that humans will be able to tackle evolving threats in an effective manner by themselves.

Conclusion

To make effective use of AI in the Military, it is important for the Indian Defense Ministry to setup processes and practices that allow it to work with research labs, academia, startups and private sector. A good balance has to be made between what can be done in-house and what external partnerships can be struck. In doing so, the Indian Military will take advantage of cutting edge work and best practices, while maintaining the integrity and secrecy that is required in the circumstances. 

Source: INDIAai