8 countries that are scaling up AI in their military
Countries around the world are spending millions to introduce the latest artificial intelligence technology into their military operations.
Artificial intelligence can automate some operations in the military and save crucial time by speeding up certain aspects of strategic decision making under human supervision — like pinpointing targets and coming up with courses of action.
But for all of its merits, the technology is also equally worrisome to some experts.
'We all probably suffer from automation bias, which is this idea that we are tempted to and often will accept the recommendation, for example, that a large language model spits out, or prediction that one of these systems is making, because we feel as though the system must have more information than we do, and must be processing it and sequencing it and ordering it better than we could,' legal scholar and former associate White House counsel Ashley Deeks told Quartz earlier this month.
What exacerbates the problem even more is that AI systems are like 'black boxes,' according to Deeks, in that it is tough for users to understand how or why it reaches certain conclusions. This could make it even tougher for officers to figure out who to trust when their gut and experience, and the AI system are saying opposite things.
The Department of Defense is majorly scaling up artificial intelligence in the military.
The potential value of all AI-related federal contracts increased by almost 1200% just from 2022 to 2023, according to a Brookings report, and so much of this spend was by the Pentagon that 'all other agencies become a rounding error.'
The Department has been working to get AI capabilities into defense operations since 2021, including through the use of autonomous weapons and AI-powered computer vision to identify airstrike targets.
Recently, the Pentagon awarded artificial intelligence giant Scale AI a reportedly multi-million dollar prototype contract to integrate AI agents into military planning and decision making workflows under its flagship operation Thunderforge. Under the program, Pentagon and industry partners will use AI agents in everything from military campaign development and resource allocation to wargaming simulations, planning scenarios and proposed courses of action, and strategic assessments.
Artificial intelligence capabilities have long been integrated into Israeli military operations, and has increasingly been in the spotlight as Israel's war on Gaza continues.
A long list of major big tech companies have provided AI services to the Israeli military to be used in wartime operations and decision making, prompting concern over the technology's role in human rights violations against Palestinian civilians.
Palantir (PLTR) signed a strategic partnership with the Israeli Defense Ministry last year to increase the use of its AI technology to support the military's 'war-related missions,' Bloomberg reported.
Google (GOOGL) and Amazon (AMZN) have provided AI services to the Israeli military since 2021 under its controversial, $1.2 billion 'Project Nimbus.' Alphabet made the decision despite some company officials warning that the technology could be used to facilitate human rights violations, according to a New York Times report.
A recent Associated Press investigation found that the Israeli military uses Microsoft (MSFT) and OpenAI artificial intelligence technology, including models made for commercial use. The investigation also said that the Israeli military uses AI to sift through intelligence and intercepted communications, pinpointing targets for drone strikes and for mass surveillance.
Beijing is perhaps United States' number one rival in the AI arms race.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping has made military artificial intelligence a top strategic priority. The People's Liberation Army has invested heavily in scaling up AI to assist in situational awareness, unmanned weapons, decision making and more. Beijing's focus on the matter has made U.S.-based innovators and politicians concerned, with Scale AI CEO Alexandr Wang saying that the technology could help China 'leapfrog' the military capacity of 'Western powers.'
Late last year, the Chinese army reportedly used an early version of Meta's (META) Llama as a base to develop a military-focused AI tool called ChatBIT. The military AI can gather and process intelligence, and offer information for operational decision making.
Last week, Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported that the People's Liberation Army started to use DeepSeek's AI model for non-combat related support. The model is reportedly being used particularly in military hospitals for now.
Russia has been in a major overhaul of high technology weapons development, dubbed Putin's superoruzhie (aka 'super weapons'), since 2018, in an effort to counter the perceived military technology strength of Western powers.
Russia's war with Ukraine was one of the first documented instances of military AI weapons being used in active combat, including electronic warfare systems capable of jamming communication systems. But perhaps Russia's most notorious AI-enabled method of warfare is to use the technology in massively scaling up disinformation campaigns.
But Russia's military AI capabilities have been developing rather slower than expected, and experts say the West is skeptical of Moscow's ability to scale its development. Russia spends less on research and development than other superpowers like U.S. or China and faces a talent development and retention problem, causing it to lag behind the U.S. and China in developing and scaling these technologies. But recently, reports say Russia has asked for China's help in developing its artificial intelligence capabilities.
Much like its enemy Russia, Ukraine is also focusing on building out and scaling its military AI capabilities.
While the current deployment of Ukrainian military AI in the field is only partial and employs a human-centric approach with officers making final decisions, the country is increasingly investing in the technology to achieve its main objective of replacing humans in direct combat with autonomous unmanned systems. In achieving this objective, Ukraine has sought help from many major American big tech companies like Anduril, Palantir, Microsoft, Amazon and Google.
Ukraine is using the technology to develop autonomous drones, AI-powered tools that provide real-time intelligence to support wartime strategic decision making and find targets, to clear landmines, and to train soldiers with AI simulations. The country has also partnered with Scale AI to aid recovery planning by conducting post-strike damage analysis of buildings targeted by Russia's drone strikes.
South Korea is working around the clock to develop military AI capabilities to counter threats by a Russia-backed North Korea, and aid its military power in the context of a shrinking population.
The East Asian country reportedly tested its first self-developed artificial intelligence models during joint military exercises with the U.S. earlier this month. The system, called Generative Defense AI, was tested in the military exercise to see if it can be applied to actual command and control systems, according to the South Korean defense ministry.
On Thursday, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un supervised a test of brand new AI-equipped suicide and reconnaissance drones.
'The field of unmanned equipment and artificial intelligence should be top-prioritized and developed in modernizing the armed forces,' Kim said, according to state media agency KCNA.
Experts say North Korea is getting technical help from Russia to expand its military technology capabilities, including the use of artificial intelligence.
While North Korea's military AI efforts unsurprisingly lack transparency, KCNA reported that Kim was also briefed on new technological advancements in intelligence-gathering capabilities, electronic jamming and attack systems at the test site on Thursday.
The United Kingdom government established the Defense Artificial Intelligence Center in 2021 in order to transform its defense department 'into an AI-ready organization.' The center aims to develop AI that would speed up defense operations and decision-making and automate the 'dull, dirty, and dangerous' tasks, according to the center's web page.
To achieve this goal, the UK has been putting its resources into research in how AI can pose threats but also be used to develop weapons both on the field and in cyber-warfare.
In a 20-page strategy report published in 2023, the UK military laid out its plans to be 'AI-ready by April 2024.' But in a defense committee hearing in late March 2024, British defense procurement minister James Cartlidge said that the military is not yet at that stage, despite having counted significant progress in incorporating AI in 'some important areas.'
For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hill
5 minutes ago
- The Hill
Golden Dome set to get another $13B as project leader takes helm
President Trump's Golden Dome missile defense project officially has a new team lead and gained potentially another $13 billion, setting the effort on a race to hit its ambitious three-year timeline. The office will be led by Vice Chief of Space Operations Space Force Gen. Michael Guetlein, unanimously confirmed by the Senate on Thursday as the first Golden Dome for America Direct Reporting Program Manager, according to a Pentagon statement released Tuesday. Guetlein, who Trump named as the Golden Dome lead in May, will be 'responsible for developing the Golden Dome portfolio of capabilities,' and report directly to Deputy Secretary of Defense Steve Feinberg. 'Golden Dome for America requires a whole-of-nation response to deter and, if necessary, to defeat attacks against the United States,' the Pentagon said in the release. 'We have the technological foundation, national talent, and decisive leadership to advance our nation's defenses. We are proud to stand behind Gen. Mike Guetlein as he takes the helm of this national imperative.' Intended to protect the skies over the continental United States, Golden Dome promises a network of space-based missiles launched from satellites to intercept missiles launched from the ground, an expensive, untested technology. The Trump administration has insisted the project is necessary to protect against ballistic, hypersonic, advanced cruise missiles, and other next-generation aerial attacks and will only cost $175 billion. To fund the effort, $24.4 billion was included for the project in the One Big, Beautiful Bill, signed by Trump on July 4. Then on July 17, the House voted to pass the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, which includes roughly $13 billion for advanced initiatives to support Golden Dome. But the purported price tag, also announced by Trump in May, is far below estimates from the Congressional Budget Office, which pegged the figure at more than $500 billion over 20 years to develop. Other estimates have placed the cost at $1 trillion. What's more, missile defense experts highly doubt a Golden Dome system as Tump has described can be created in under three years. Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) last month called out 'the physics' of Golden Dome, pressing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to seek out viability analysis from scientists instead of defense and space firms. 'This idea, you know, might not be fully baked,' Kelly, an engineer by trade, told Hegseth during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on June 18. 'You've got to go back and take a look at this. . . . You could go down a road here and spend hundreds of billions of dollars of the taxpayers' money, get to the end, and we have a system that is not functional,' Kelly added. In its statement, the Pentagon said Golden Dome would establish partnerships with industry, academia, national labs and other government agencies to rapidly develop and field the system, with an architecture to be developed within the next 60 days.
Yahoo
43 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Palantir Stock Just Zoomed Past $150. My Prediction for What Comes Next
Key Points Palantir's revenue is accelerating as it wins more and more large software contracts. It is working to expand into new industries like nuclear power. The stock trades at an extreme valuation. 10 stocks we like better than Palantir Technologies › One of the best-performing stocks of the last 12 months is Palantir Technologies (NASDAQ: PLTR). It has gone on an incredible run for shareholders in that period with a 436% gain, adding to its whopping 2,300% return since the beginning of 2023. That is a more than 20x return in just two and a half years, making many shareholders rich in the process. The artificial intelligence (AI) company serves many large organizations like the Department of Defense, and it's seeing accelerating revenue growth and huge customer wins. Investors are so bullish that Palantir stock recently zoomed past $150 per share, giving it a market cap of nearly $350 billion. Here's my prediction for what comes next for Palantir Technologies. Fast revenue growth, big contracts The first thing that jumps out about Palantir is the company's accelerating momentum at scale. Last quarter, its revenue grew 39% year over year to $884 million, driven by strong domestic sales. U.S. revenue was up 55%, while U.S. commercial revenue (coming from the private sector) growth accelerated to 71% year over year. At the same time, Palantir is expanding its profitability. Operating margin was 20% last quarter and 13% over the last 12 months. With strong gross margins, Palantir has a clear path to keep expanding its profit margins as the business scales. Forward indicators look bright for Palantir as well. Just in the first quarter, it closed 139 deals with customers worth over $1 million, plus an additional 31 deals worth at least $10 million. As the AI operating system for large enterprises, Palantir is proving its worth and seeing huge spending from these customers. The U.S. Department of Defense alone has contracts worth over $1 billion with Palantir, with room to expand over time. Revenue and earnings should keep growing for Palantir as it shapes up to be one of the biggest software winners of the decade. Image source: Getty Images. A lot of announcements in exciting industries Using its AI and software analytics, Palantir is aiming to move into more and more industries to help spur innovation. For example, it's working with a start-up called The Nuclear Company to install Palantir software as the operating system for its entire nuclear energy supply chain. The company is aiming to build gigawatt-scale nuclear energy plants in the U.S. to help with rising electricity demands.
The Hill
3 hours ago
- The Hill
War in Gaza tests ties between Israel and traditional European allies
LONDON (AP) — Britain threatened Tuesday to take further action against Israel if it does not agree to end the war in Gaza, a day after two dozen mostly European countries condemned Israel's restrictions on aid shipments into the territory and the killings of hundreds of Palestinians trying to reach food. Despite the increasingly strong words, many are skeptical that Israel will yield to such pressure without more significant punitive action — and especially without the backing of Germany and the U.S., Israel's strongest Western allies. Outrage over Israel's actions in Gaza has grown in Europe as images of suffering Palestinians have driven protests in London, Berlin, Brussels and other capitals. More recently, the almost daily killings of Palestinians while seeking aid have tested the EU's friendly relationship with Israel like never before. But Europe remains divided on its stance toward Israel, and its limited sanctions and condemnations so far have had little effect. Here's a look at what Europe can do or has done — and why it hasn't done more. EU reviews its ties with Israel over Gaza The EU has been reviewing its diplomatic and trade ties with Israel over its conduct in Gaza. An internal report recently found indications that Israel has violated its human rights obligations under the EU-Israel Association Agreement, a 25-year-old legal framework governing the political relationship and trade cooperation between the two sides. But so far the EU has taken no action to suspend such ties. Some have criticized the EU — Israel's biggest trading partner — for a lack of political courage and for underestimating its leverage on Israel. 'What we can see is mounting pressure, but those are words, those are not actions,' said Yossi Mekelberg, a senior consulting fellow at London's Chatham House think tank. Individual countries, such as Britain, Canada and Australia, have slapped sanctions on Israeli settlers in connection with violence against Palestinians, including asset freezes and travel bans. But such measures have yielded few results. In addition, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Norway have sanctioned two far-right Israeli ministers for allegedly 'inciting extremist violence' against Palestinians in the West Bank. The U.K. said in May that it would suspend free trade talks with Israel, also over the West Bank. British Foreign Secretary David Lammy hinted at stronger action Tuesday, saying he felt 'sickened' by the suffering in Gaza, but he did not specify what measures were being considered. 'We will continue to pressure. We will continue to act,' Lammy told British media, stressing the need to work with allies to get the 'maximum result.' Speaking Tuesday on X, European Commissioner Ursula von der Leyen reiterated the EU's call for 'the free, safe and swift flow of humanitarian aid. And for the full respect of international and humanitarian law. Civilians in Gaza have suffered too much, for too long.' If Israel does not change course, options could include fully or partially suspending the EU-Israel Association Agreement, which would require a unanimous agreement by all 27 members of the EU. Other steps could be suspending an aviation agreement, blocking imports from settlements, limiting scientific and technological cooperation, and curtailing travel for Israelis in the visa-free zone known as Schengen, according to a leaked document sent by the EU's top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, to member states. The document was seen by The Associated Press and verified by two EU diplomats. Nations could act on their own, including sanctioning specific companies or individuals in Israel or the occupied West Bank. Why hasn't Europe taken stronger action? The short answer is that Europe remains divided, and it is highly unlikely that the entire EU would reach unanimity to drastically dial up pressure on Israel. European nations such as Ireland, the Netherlands and Spain have publicly urged the EU to reassess its ties with Israel, charging that Israel has violated human rights conditions in its agreement with Brussels. But Germany and Hungary have staunchly defended Israel, along with Romania, which just bought air-defense systems from Israel. Suspending EU ties with Israel would require a unanimous decision, which is likely impossible to obtain. Germany is the main holdout Monday's joint statement by 25 countries was rejected by the U.S. ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, who called it 'disgusting.' Western allies should instead pressure the 'savages of Hamas,' he said. Israel condemned the countries' stance and said Hamas was the sole party responsible for prolonging the war. Hamas triggered the ongoing 21-month war with its Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel, and continues to hold some 50 Israeli hostages. One significant outlier in Europe is Germany, traditionally a staunch ally of Israel in Europe, with relations rooted in the memory of the Holocaust. The country has vehemently rejected the idea of suspending the EU's association agreement with Israel. Chancellor Friedrich Merz and other officials have gradually sharpened their criticism of Israel's actions in Gaza in recent months. But they still appear to favor trying to influence Israel by conveying their concerns directly. Germany did not join allies in signing Monday's letter condemning Israeli restrictions on aid. There were signs of pushback within the German government Tuesday, when the parliamentary leader of Merz's junior coalition partner, the Social Democrats, said Germany should join Britain's initiative and that 'double standards undermine our international credibility.' Merz said Monday that he had spoken at length with Netanyahu last week and 'told him very clearly that we do not share the Israeli government's Gaza policy.' 'The way the Israeli army is acting there is unacceptable,' he said. Nomi Bar-Yaacov, an expert on diplomacy in the Middle East, said any EU action must go beyond words. 'Israel doesn't listen to language,' Bar-Yaacov said. 'I mean, language doesn't go anywhere with the current Israeli government. Unless a mechanism is agreed and enforced promptly, then the words have no meaning whatsoever.'
