Artificial Intelligence for Military Organizations is a "Must-Do". No longer a "Ta-Boo".

Artificial Intelligence as a solution to the 3 most significant problems of European Military Forces.

European countries are currently struggling with the formidable task of rebuilding their military forces, and the recent conflict in Ukraine has cast a harsh spotlight on the unpreparedness of European military organizations for high-intensity armed conflicts. The urgency of the situation cannot be overstated. However, the challenge extends beyond merely acquiring new equipment and procedures; it's also about preparing for a high-tech battlefield where artificial intelligence (AI) emerges as a crucial player.

The confluence of a technological revolution and geopolitical turmoil is reshaping the defense and intelligence landscape. In this comprehensive article, I will delve into how AI, as a mature and available technology, can offer immediate solutions to the three most significant problems faced by European military forces.

The Perfect Storm: Geopolitical Frictions and Technological Revolution

The current global landscape is marred by substantial geopolitical frictions. The war in Ukraine, the ascendancy of China, the vaporizing European influence in Africa, and sudden explosion of latent bloody conflict in the Middle East all contribute to an atmosphere of uncertainty and volatility. These geopolitical strains are further exacerbated by the impacts of climate change, leading to uncontrolled migration and an upsurge in radicalization.

Understanding the strategic motives behind these occurrences is imperative, as they are not random events. Simultaneously, we stand at the dawn of a disruptive technological revolution primarily driven by AI. The pace of change in this AI-disrupted world is unprecedented. AI's rapid impact is merely a prologue to the forthcoming acceleration of various technological fields, including quantum physics.

The consequences of democratizing these advanced technologies are not yet understood. Early adopters, whether nation-states or global criminal organizations, are already leveraging AI's disruptive potential. In regions like Ukraine, the Middle East, and the Far East, disruptive technologies are actively reshaping cognitive, cyber, and kinetic warfare domains.

Solving Problem 1: Optimizing Existing Military Capabilities

The rapid evolution of AI technology offers a lifeline for European armed forces. AI can address the critical shortfalls in equipment, optimizing existing capabilities to enhance efficiency, accuracy, and effectiveness of weapon systems. Moreover, AI can streamline logistical supply chains, expedite decision-making processes, and significantly improve intelligence collection and analysis. It is essential to recognize that AI is not a distant prospect; it is a mature technology that can provide immediate answers to these challenges.

Based on the lessons learned from the battlefield in Ukraine, it is obvious that AI is indispensable for optimizing current military capabilities and ensuring European armed forces can meet contemporary challenges head-on.

Solving Problem 2: Preparing for The Future of Conflict - Hyperwar

Traditional military re-armament programs, like the 5th/6th Gen Fighters, Vessels or Main-battle-Tanks, are known to be lengthy processes, often spanning decades. However, the contemporary geopolitical landscape demands a proactive approach that considers not only immediate needs but also the ever-approaching future of conflict.

Strategic forecasting experts have conceptualized "hyperwar" as the next frontier in military strategy, characterized by a swiftly evolving technological and tactical landscape.

Hyperwar encompasses hypersonics, AI, robotics, lethal autonomous weapons systems, improvised threats, swarming techniques, deterrence strategies, and ethical and societal implications. To thrive in this new era of warfare, it is crucial to employ AI as a foundational pillar in military strategies, operations and tactics. The promise of AI is that it can be immediately integrated into existing military operations to prepare for the forthcoming challenges.

The journey toward hyperwar necessitates the recruitment and training of individuals with the highest caliber of skills. Nevertheless, European armed forces face a daunting hurdle due to the widespread reluctance of the population to defend their nations. This multifaceted challenge calls for a revolutionary shift in our approach to recruiting and training.

Solving Problem 3: Optimizing Resources and Workforce

To confront the immense gaps in recruiting, resourcing, and maintaining a competent military workforce, we must harness the full potential of AI. AI can provide immediate solutions by augmenting and streamlining the recruitment process, as well as optimizing the utilization of existing personnel and resources.

AI can be deployed to significantly increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the military workforce. This may involve enhancing decision-making processes, improving strategic resource allocation, and minimizing redundant tasks. AI can empower military personnel to work more effectively, ensuring the workforce is utilized to its full potential. As a consequence, the number of people needed to work in operational headquarters can be drastically reduced, which has a positive impact on the geographical and electronic footprint of these critical infrastructures, making them less vulnerable and more mobile.

The Evolution of Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence has an extensive history, dating back to the 1950s.

In recent years, machine learning and neural networks have come to the fore, enabling AI to learn from data without explicit programming. Notably, generative AI models have advanced significantly, with applications across diverse fields, including natural language processing, computer vision, and speech recognition. These models can generate new examples that resemble those in a given dataset, making them invaluable for military intelligence, decision-making, and planning.

Imagine that after all the AI enabled preparative staff-work of the J1, J2, J3, J4, J5, J6 and J8 of a battlegroup, the commander will have not just 3 courses of action to choose from, but can play and choose between thousands of scenarios taking all variables in real time into account, reducing chances on collateral damage, optimizing operational effects to come up with the optimal action plan?

Currently, military organizations across the globe are actively exploring the incorporation of AI into their current services and operations. Six key trends are driving this adoption:

1. Human to Machine Teaming: The collaboration between humans and AI is becoming a core component of military operations.
2. Generative AI for Lower Classification Workloads: AI is being leveraged to handle tasks that require lower classification, ensuring efficient and accurate results.
3. Leveraging AI-Driven Data Insights in the Cloud: AI is being used to gain actionable insights from vast datasets stored in cloud infrastructure.
4. Process Optimization and Automation: AI is streamlining government processes and automating tasks to support decision-making.
5. Mixed Reality for Support in Operations, Planning, and Training: Defense organizations are employing mixed reality technologies to enhance military operations, training, and planning.
6. Industrial Metaverse for Defense and Mission-Critical Operations: An industrial metaverse is being developed for defense and mission-critical operations.

The successful implementation of AI by military organizations obviously requires a commitment to building public trust by responsibly and effectively utilizing this technology.

Principles Guiding AI Development

AI development is underpinned by six core principles:

1. Reliability and Safety: AI systems must operate reliably and safely, even under unexpected conditions, particularly in mission-critical industries like defense.
2. Fairness: AI systems must treat all individuals and groups fairly, avoiding biases and ensuring equitable recommendations.
3. Transparency: It is vital that individuals understand how AI systems make decisions, promoting trust and the identification of potential issues.
4. Privacy and Security: Protecting private information and ensuring the security of sensitive data is paramount, particularly as AI becomes more prevalent.
5. Inclusiveness: AI must be designed with inclusivity in mind, eliminating barriers and ensuring accessibility to diverse demographics.
6. Accountability: The designers and deployers of AI systems must be held accountable for their operation and the preservation of fundamental freedoms.

These guiding principles are central to ensuring responsible and ethical AI use, especially in mission-critical contexts like defense.

Conclusion

The challenges confronting European armed forces as they rebuild and prepare for future conflicts are multifaceted and complex. One of the keys to mitigating equipment shortfalls, improving efficiency, and enhancing decision-making processes lies in the adoption of AI. The evolution of AI, including the advent of generative AI, plays a pivotal role in reshaping defense and intelligence operations. Military organizations must adopt AI thoughtfully, with a focus on building trust, transparency, and accountability in its implementation. The future of defense and intelligence hinges on embracing AI's potential in a rapidly evolving world.

AI is not a future prospect; it is a current, mature, and available technology that can immediately address these challenges.