How AI defeats humans on the battlefield | BBC News
Summary
TLDRAI Decoded explores the controversial use of artificial intelligence in military training and warfare. The program discusses the potential of AI to transform combat, with BAE Systems leading efforts to create AI-powered learning systems for military trainees. Ethical concerns about unmanned military drones and the implications of AI in escalating conflicts are highlighted, featuring insights from experts and a deep dive into the technology's impact on the battlefield.
Takeaways
- 🤖 AI is increasingly being integrated into military training and combat tools, raising ethical and operational concerns.
- 🚀 The Guardian refers to this as the 'AI Oppenheimer moment', highlighting the growing interest in AI-powered combat systems.
- 💰 There is a significant influx of funding towards companies and agencies promising smarter, cheaper, and faster warfare through AI.
- 🇬🇧 UK-based BAE Systems is leading efforts to develop an AI-powered learning system for military trainees, aiming to make them mission-ready sooner.
- 🎓 AI is being used to enhance flight simulators and other training tools, providing realistic scenarios and improving pilot skills.
- 🤔 Ethical considerations include the potential for AI to escalate warfare more quickly and the need for human oversight in decision-making.
- 🛠 AI's role in training is not limited to aircraft; it is also used to simulate various battlefield scenarios and civilian activities.
- 🔍 AI can analyze trainee performance data, identify areas of struggle, and refine training materials accordingly.
- 💡 The development of AI-powered adversaries in training scenarios is challenging even experienced pilots, showcasing the potential of AI in combat.
- 🌐 The debate around AI in warfare extends to international discussions, with organizations like 'Stop Killer Robots' advocating for a ban on lethal autonomous weapons.
- 🔎 Transparency and accountability in AI use in warfare are critical, especially considering the classified nature of much military intelligence.
Q & A
What is the term 'AI Oppenheimer moment' referring to in the context of the script?
-The 'AI Oppenheimer moment' refers to the increasing interest in combat tools that combine human and machine intelligence, leading to significant financial investment in companies and government agencies that claim to make warfare smarter, cheaper, and faster.
What is BAE Systems' goal in relation to AI in the military sector?
-BAE Systems aims to be the first in their industry to create an AI-powered Learning System designed to make military trainees mission-ready more quickly.
What ethical considerations are raised by the use of AI in military applications?
-Ethical considerations include the potential for AI to escalate warfare more quickly, the possibility of AI making life-and-death decisions without human intervention, and the implications of AI systems engaging in combat without human pilots.
How does AI enhance flight simulators for pilot training?
-AI can record and analyze trainee performance in flight simulators, providing metrics to measure and score each performance. It can also identify areas where trainees struggle, allowing for more targeted and effective training.
What is the concept of 'human in the loop' in military applications?
-'Human in the loop' is a process where a human being is involved in the command and control of military systems, such as drones, ensuring that there is always human judgment at the heart of selecting the course of action.
How does AI contribute to the realism of simulated battlefield environments?
-AI allows simulated environments to behave more realistically, even replicating civilian activity. It can create complex scenarios for training purposes, making the training experience more challenging and closer to real-life conditions.
What is the role of AI in aerial combat training against AI-powered adversaries?
-AI in aerial combat training serves as an adaptive opponent that learns and reacts to the trainee's actions, providing a challenging and unpredictable training environment that can help refine pilot skills.
What is the Tempest project and how does it relate to AI in military applications?
-The Tempest is a joint collaboration between the UK, Italy, and Japan to develop a sixth-generation stealth combat jet. It will feature advanced radar and weapon systems and the ability to command a mini-squadron of drones, acting as a flying command and control center.
What is the concern regarding the speed of AI decision-making in warfare?
-The concern is that the speed of AI decision-making could lead to faster escalation of conflicts, as AI systems may initiate actions or escalate situations without human oversight or control.
How does the use of AI in warfare affect the potential for civilian harm?
-While AI can improve precision in targeting, the increased speed and reduced cost of engaging targets could potentially lead to more strikes and, consequently, a larger impact on civilian populations, even if individual strikes are more precise.
What is the role of the Campaign to Stop Killer Robots, and what is their stance on AI in the military?
-The Campaign to Stop Killer Robots is a coalition of NGOs that seeks to preemptively ban lethal autonomous weapons. They advocate for human control over life-and-death decisions in warfare and are concerned about the potential for AI to escalate conflicts and cause harm to civilians.
Outlines
🤖 AI in Warfare: Ethical and Practical Considerations
The script opens with a discussion on the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in military applications, drawing parallels to the historical figure J. Robert Oppenheimer. It highlights the interest in AI-powered tools that could potentially make warfare more efficient but raises ethical concerns about the use of unmanned military drones. The segment introduces Priya Lakhani, CEO of Century Tech, who emphasizes the importance of addressing ethical issues related to AI in warfare. The script also mentions a report by Mark Chesak on military training and the application of AI by BAE Systems to enhance military readiness.
🎮 AI-Enhanced Military Training and Simulation
This paragraph delves into the use of AI in military training, specifically in flight simulators. It explains how AI can analyze trainee performance data to identify areas for improvement in training programs. The script also touches on the simulation of various battlefield elements using technology derived from video games, which AI can make more realistic. The narrative includes the perspective of a former RAF pilot, Jim Whitworth, on the realism of simulators and the potential for AI to create complex training scenarios, including aerial combat against AI-powered adversaries.
🛫 The Future of AI in Aerial Combat and Autonomous Systems
The script discusses the development of AI in aerial combat training, where AI adversaries challenge even seasoned pilots with unfamiliar tactics. It also introduces the concept of the 'AI-aided tactics engine' developed by Cranfield University, which is designed to simulate realistic combat scenarios. The segment raises questions about the implications of AI learning from human pilots and potentially being used to control drones in real-world situations, underscoring the moral and ethical risks associated with autonomous weapons.
🚀 AI and the Evolution of Military Technology
This paragraph explores the future of military technology, focusing on the Tempest project, a collaborative effort between the UK, Italy, and Japan to develop a sixth-generation stealth combat jet. The Tempest is envisioned to have advanced systems, including the ability to command a squadron of drones from a distance, prompting a discussion on the role of humans in the decision-making process regarding warfare and the potential for AI to escalate conflicts more rapidly.
🛡️ The Debate on AI in Warfare: Human Control and Ethical Implications
The final paragraph of the script presents a discussion on the role of AI in modern warfare, featuring insights from Mikey Kay, a former senior RAF officer, and Dr. Peter Asaro from the Campaign to Stop Killer Robots. The conversation covers the use of AI in precision targeting and the potential for AI to increase the speed and volume of attacks, which could inadvertently lead to more civilian casualties. It also addresses the need for human oversight in the use of lethal autonomous weapons and the challenges of regulating AI in military applications.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Artificial Intelligence (AI)
💡AI Oppenheimer moment
💡Combat tools
💡BAE Systems
💡Unmanned military drones
💡Ethical considerations
💡Human in the loop
💡Flight simulators
💡AI-aided tactics engine
💡Precision-guided munition
💡Collateral damage estimate
💡Pattern of life
💡Rules of engagement
💡Lethal autonomous weapons
💡Flash crashes
Highlights
The Guardian dubs the increasing use of AI in combat tools as the 'AI Oppenheimer moment', highlighting the potential for AI to transform warfare.
BAE Systems is developing an AI-powered learning system to expedite military trainee readiness.
AI's role in military training raises ethical concerns, particularly around the potential for unmanned military drones.
The Farnborough Air Show has showcased an increase in unmanned aerial vehicles with military applications.
Human involvement in command and control of military drones is critical for ethical considerations.
AI is being used in flight simulators to train pilots, saving time and money while providing realistic training scenarios.
AI can analyze trainee performance in simulators, identifying areas where training can be improved.
Simulation technology, powered by AI, can replicate complex battlefield environments and civilian activity.
AI-powered adversaries in training simulations challenge experienced pilots, simulating real-world combat scenarios.
AI engines in training are learning and adapting to pilot reactions, providing a dynamic training environment.
The ethical implications of AI in warfare include the risk of escalating conflicts due to automated decision-making.
The Tempest project, a collaboration between the UK, Italy, and Japan, aims to develop a sixth-generation stealth combat jet with AI capabilities.
The debate on AI in warfare includes discussions on the necessity of human involvement in decision-making processes.
AI technology is being used in the battlefield for precision-guided munition processes, assessing potential threats and collateral damage.
The use of AI in warfare could potentially increase the speed and accuracy of military operations, but also raises concerns about civilian harm.
Dr. Peter Asaro from the Campaign to Stop Killer Robots emphasizes the need for human control in lethal autonomous weapons systems.
The potential for AI to escalate conflicts due to increased speed and automation in decision-making is a significant concern.
AI's role in warfare is not limited to training; it is also being integrated into operational capabilities, such as precision targeting and battle damage assessment.
The Campaign to Stop Killer Robots is working towards a treaty to regulate the use of AI in lethal autonomous weapons systems.
Transcripts
it is time now for our new weekly
segment Aid
[Music]
decoded welcome to AI decoded it is that
time of the week when we look in depth
at some of the most eye-catching stories
in the world of artificial intelligence
now last week we looked at how
artificial intelligence could threaten
human jobs in the future but what about
those on the battlefield well the
guardian is calling it AI Oppenheimer
moment due to the increasing appetite
for combat tools that blend human and
machine intelligence this has led to an
influx of money to companies and
government agencies that promise they
can make Warfare smarter cheaper and
faster and here in the UK leading
military contractor BAE systems are
ramping up efforts to become the first
in their industry to create an AI
powerered Learning System meant to make
military trainees Mission ready sooner
now our BBC AI correspondent Mark chesak
went to meet all those involved we will
be showing you his piece in just a
moment but with me I'm very pleased to
say is our regular AI contributor and
presenter Priya laani who's CEO of AI
powered education company Century Tech
now Priya this is a fascinating area but
perhaps one of the most controversial
and people have huge concerns about it
yeah that's absolutely right because
this is using AI to potentially have
unmanned military drones what you're
going to see in Mark's incredible piece
is unmanned military Warcraft
potentially and then there's you know
all these questions about well hang on
you know obviously it's great if there
aren't humans being harmed out there on
the field but does that mean that
actually War could escalate much quicker
a decisions then going to be made by
these AI systems if both parties have ai
system systems what happens then it's
sort of a race as to who can escalate
further and so there's all sorts of
ethical considerations but you're also
going to see learning systems and how
BAE systems are approaching using AI to
improve learning in terms of training uh
the military and soldiers so it's a
fascinating area and then we'll do a bit
of a deep dive into the ethics a little
bit later in the program lots to talk
about Priya so let's take a look uh as
we just talking about uh this uh report
by Mark chesak and then stay with us cuz
we've got lots to discuss afterwards
up down flying or hovering around for 75
years the farra air show has showed off
aircraft both civilian and
Military often inviting Pilots to put
their airplanes through their Paces to
the Delight of the assembled
attendees including plane Buffs even new
prime ministers
in recent years fber has played host to
a lot more of these unmanned air
vehicles or drones as they're commonly
known drones with military application
with fixed wings that behave like an
airplane or rotors capable of hovering
like a helicopter are in abundance but
all have something in common a human
being involved in the command and
control of these aircraft at some stage
it's a process that's called human in
the loop it's it's critical from a a
moral and ethical point of view to
ensure that there is a human judgment
that is always at the heart of selection
of the course of
action military application of AI is
extremely controversial images of Killer
Robots and the idea of AI run a mck are
frequent additions to stories in the
Press about the risks the technology
poses nevertheless militaries around the
world are already using artificial
intelligence one area where it's
particularly useful is training Pilots
to fly
aircraft like
these flight simulators are an integral
part of a pilot's training they save
time and money allowing prospective
Pilots to gain valuable skills from the
comfort and safety of terra firma
formerly with the RAF Jim Whitworth is a
pilot instructor experienced in flying
military jets like the hawk and tornado
soon as you see that I want you to just
pull the stick back set an attitude as
we discussed this simulator rig is for a
hawk jet the Royal Air Force's preferred
trainer what sort of feedback have you
given to the team developing this um in
terms of its realism uh so really it's
about the feedback from the controls I
would like it to feel as much like a
hawk as possible where does the AI come
into the mix we can record everything a
traine does in this environment in this
simulator we can give some metrics with
which to measure the performance and
then score each performance and then as
we start to build up data on each
trainee artificial intelligence can then
start to analyze that data for us and
show us where our pinch points in the
syllabus are and by that I mean where
each traine is struggling where perhaps
we might want to refine a piece of
training either coare material all
technique from the instructor to try and
make that training as successful as
possible greatest advantage of learning
to fly like this is that when I need to
get back down on the
ground I can hit a few Keys take the
headset off and I'm good to
go synthetic training isn't exclusive to
aircraft nearly every element of the
battlefield and its surrounding
environment can be simulated the
software powering these tools has
evolved from the same Tech as video
games the addition of AI allows the
environments to behave in a much more
realistic way even replicating civilian
activity how does AI help in
simulation it's really difficult to
replicate real life scenarios it's very
difficult to get enough space to do the
training in it's very difficult to get
enough assets available particularly if
they're on operations we can make them
incredibly complicated scenarios and the
AI can then create the the complexity
that they need to train against when it
comes to Aerial combat training new AI
powered adversaries are proving to be a
challenge even for experienced Pilots
definitely puts you through your Paces
it puts you in positions that you've not
traditionally seen before it fights a
different doctrine that we've not
necessarily trained against so I think
it's going to become become the Future
Okay Pi's headset on and put it through
his
PES Pierce Dudley used to fly the F's
most advanced fighter the typhoon he's
about to fly a virtual version of the
same jet in aerial combat against a
System created by developers from
crownfield University it's called the AI
aided tactics engine yeah so if your
opponent is also a human being there's
something at stake for both of you your
lives are at stake but if your opponent
in the real world isn't a human being
does that change things for for you as a
human pilot the AI is learning as and is
adapting to your reactions so therefore
it becomes quite difficult to train
against if you're tra if you're fighting
against other other real world uh air
crew you potentially know the training
that they've been through you know
almost what to expect whereas against
this you just don't know what to expect
with it the AI engine has come out on
top now it's my turn to take on an AI
Top Gun
where did he go I lost
him got to get some altitude out
maneuvered at every turn the AI made
quick work and this novice pilot is just
too
elusive Pilots aren't just learning from
the AI in turn it's learning from them
too it's refining skills which one day
may be used to Pilot drones in real
world situations
a scenario that for many presents a
significant moral and ethical risk yeah
that risk um associated with technology
is a is a a critical area um it's not
new um every technology that's been
deployed in defense has a risk
associated with it and there's a very
wellestablished um moral ethical and
legal framework around how we evaluate
the risk of any new capability alongside
the operational capability and the
imperative to use it but what what
happens if an adversary doesn't play by
the rules if they don't play by the The
Rules of Engagement or they they don't
play by the same ethical Frameworks we
don't assume that our adversaries will
play by the same rules that we do um but
because we understand the technology we
understand how you would go about
deploying autonomy outside of that
framework and when we understand the
technology and approaches they would use
we can understand the techniques we
would use to counter that to defeat that
threat
this is a glimpse of the future it's
called Tempest a joint collaboration
between the UK Italy and
Japan this proposed sixth generation
stealth combat jet will have advanced
radar and weapon systems as well as
flying with its own mini Squadron of
drones The Tempest acting as a flying
command and control center at a distance
while the drones perform missions
semi-autonomously
which begs the question how long will
the human being remain in the
loop I told you it was interesting that
was Mark chesak reporting there now
coming up we will delve deeper into the
issues surrounding AI on the battlefield
we will be speaking to Mikey Kay a
former senior RAF officer in the British
Military and Dr Peter azaro from The
Campaign to stop Killer Robots a
coalition of non governmental
organizations who seek to preemptively
ban lethal autonomous weapons join us
for all that on aiid decoded after this
short break around the world and across
the UK this is BBC News welcome back to
AI decoded now we just had a glimpse of
how defense manufacturers are using AI
powered military training tools to train
the next generation of fighter pilots
but are we in danger of handing too much
autonomy to these relatively untested
systems we're joining us now are Mikey k
a former senior RF military pilot and Dr
Peter azaro from the organization stop
Killer Robots who's also a professor at
the new school in New York where his
research focuses on artificial
intelligence and Robotics thank you so
much both of you for joining us here on
AI decoded and Mikey perhaps if I can
start with you and ask just to give us a
quick rundown of your understanding of
how AI technology is being used on the
battlefield at the
moment uh I think a really good example
is um the a process called the kilch um
which is a a procedural uh approach to
the Precision guided munition process
and what that does basically it assists
with the
identification uh uh and selection of a
Potential Threat and then the approach
looks at What's called the CDE the
collateral damage estimate and it will
look in the vicinity of what the target
is let's say for example two Islamic
State snipers on the second story of a
30 story building and then it will
assess um potentially what components
within a certain radius of that Target
uh could be or could form some form of
collateral whether that is uh
endangering human life or endangering
infrastructure um at the same time
you've got a significant amount of
intelligence that is going into this
process whether that's human
intelligence which is intelligence you
get from informance or whether it's
imagery intelligence or electronic
intelligence so listening tapping into
phones or listening to um radio
frequencies or uh looking at imagery
from predators um then it will go into
weapon selection and it will basically
look at what type of weapon whether it
be a bomb from a platform like fastjet
or whether it's an artillery cell which
is precision guided from a tank
it will look at what type of weapon um
is the most appropriate in order to
minimize that collateral and various
governments will have various different
tolerance policies on that and then it
will also bring into all of that what
the rules of engagement are uh in terms
of being able to prosecute that Target
so um AI can across all of those areas
including the battle damage assessment
which is effectively taking a photograph
after the bombs hit it can it can inform
all of those components of what what is
commonly called in military P to kill J
okay let's go to Dr Peter rosaro and
just to I mean your your organization is
called stop Killer Robots which perhaps
gives people an idea of where you're
coming from in this the film that we
have just seen is about how AI is being
used to train uh Pilots um do you have a
problem with AI being used in that sort
of capacity or do you want AI not to be
used at all when it comes to Battlefield
training and effectiveness
um yeah so I think there's a lot of
valid applications of artificial
intelligence across many different
domains from medicine to healthcare and
in even in the military for Logistics
and training and things like that uh
we're really focused on autonomy in
Weapons Systems and ensuring that humans
are ultimately making the decision to
use lethal force and determining what is
a valid and lawful Target in armed
conflict um and we've been working at
the UN for more than decade trying to
get a treaty there uh but there's of
course many different kinds of
applications and there's been a lot of
debate around exactly how to define
these systems uh as we just heard from
the the video and and the previous
speaker the there's a lot of different
ways to integrate these into the complex
operations of the military which
involves a lot of data a lot of
computers a lot of people making
decisions at different levels of command
and control uh so it's is challenging to
find ways to really regulate how that
happens and ensure that humans remain in
control so Mike I have a question for
you because presumably one of the areas
that the military is trying to achieve
here achieve better is like less
civilian harm right we know from the UN
that the civilian casualty ratio is
about 9 to1 so nine civilians to one uh
combatant um but making Precision
targeting theoretically more possible
doesn't necessarily mean that the impact
on mitigating risks to civilians is more
probable because when it comes to using
artificial intelligence it's about speed
so if both parties have artificially
intelligent uh trained weapons or drones
and they're using this technology speed
is key in the process and so we saw from
for example lavender which is the AI
system used by uh the IDF sources
alleged that actually they increased the
number of civilians that they were
permitted to kill when they were
targeting a potential low-risk militants
to 15 to 20 civilians and they would
drop a bomb on an entire house and
flatten it to try and achieve their
goals so what do you think about AI
making War actually more destructive in
this sense and not helping us when it
comes to reducing civilian
harm well PRI what you're talking about
there is the collateral damage estimate
and the collateral damage estimate
varies from government to government um
I think it's quite obvious if you look
at the tolerance policy of the IDF it's
significantly different uh from
experience of what the tolerance policy
was of say the UK when it was operating
um prision guarded munition strikes in
Iraq or Afghanistan and I was part of
that kill chain process in Baghdad over
three tours so I'm incredibly familiar
with that and I'm incredibly familiar
with the collateral damage estimate and
what the rules of engagement are where
AI can improve this and you're
absolutely right when you talk about
speed speed is of the speed is of the
essence so if you do have a imminent
threat uh to life or to infrastructure
neutralizing that threat uh through
speed and accuracy is where AI can help
improvements so the collateral damage
estimate for example AI will be able to
speed up that assessment of what the
potential collateral damage is and when
we're talking about collateral damage
I'm talking about a school potentially
within the radius of impact of a certain
weapon you know or a bus passing by at a
certain time of the day and that's where
what's called pattern of Life comes in
which is effectively drones overhead of
Target looking at what the pattern of
life is of various components
surrounding that so speed speed is
critical selection of the weapon and
speed at which the weapon can be
selected from The Rules of Engagement
from the collateral damage estimate is
is critical so AI for me um will speed
up and make that process more accurate
but ultimately the very high top level
tier has to be the government's
tolerance policy on what it's willing to
accept in terms of loss of life and at
the moment we talked a lot about human
in the loop so the slowest and therefore
the weakest link here would arguably be
the human in the loop is there then a
risk that the human will be cut out of
the
process well you're talking about speed
and potentially the human could become
the slightly slower component of that
but then what's a critical comp
component to think about is is accuracy
and ethics and AI isn't there yet will
it ever get there um I'm not sure there
there are those that argue it will there
were there were those that argue that
you will always need uh a human in the
loop to give that overlay of what the
ethics are what the rules of engagement
are um the scenarios are very different
you know Prosecuting different targets
in different environments with different
platforms different weapons you know I
gave the example of two Islamic State
snipers on a two on a second flooor of a
30 story building we the human has the
ability to be able to select a weapon um
through technology through machine
learning but also put for example a
steel tip on the top of that weapon
called a penetrator so it can go through
28 floors to the second floor with a
delayed fuse on it and just take out
what's on the second floor without
destroying anything else so it is a
massively massively complex procedure of
which AI will be learning how to do that
but my my advice and certainly the way I
would approach this is is that a human
in the loop right now is imperative in
order to minimize that collateral and
minimize potential mistakes and mistakes
do sadly happen quite a lot yeah and we
haven't talked about the transparency of
that either in the sense that a lot of
this is classified intelligence you know
W defense cont contractors be Peter I've
got a very quick question for you we
running out of time but war games show
that the use of machines are to result
in Conflict escalating quicker than it
would otherwise what are your thoughts
about
that well as you said with the speed
right uh decision making happens in
shorter and shorter time frames the real
difficulty is when uh more and more uh
strategic decision making and engage
decisions to engage a Target or initiate
an operation become automated then you
actually would have humans that would
not be in control of the overall
planning the decisions to go to war the
decisions to escalate a conflict could
all just sort of happen automatically
and we've seen this already with online
trading and Flash crashes that have
occurred in stock markets where
different algorithms will interact with
each other and lead to uh you know a
stock market crash and they have to turn
off the whole system uh we don't want
this happening with autonomous systems
in Warfare um but I think uh to the
question you asked before about
Precision weapons I what we know is this
is Automation and automation increases
speed it also red reduces cost by
reducing the cost of bombing each
individual Target that means you can
afford to bomb a lot more targets so if
you were only killing you know a certain
percentage of civilians with each strike
but now you can strike many many more
things you can actually wind up having a
much larger impact on the civilian
population uh even though you've
increased Precision so it's it's not
automatic that these systems will
improve Warfare and any uh uh impact on
civilians Dr petaro I'm gonna have to
stop you there I'm sure we could talk
about this all evening it's an
absolutely fascinating subject we really
appreciate your time Dr Peter aaro Mikey
K thank you and here in the studio uh
priia thank you so much for joining us
that's it we are out of time AI decoded
will be taking a welld deserved break
for the month of August but don't worry
we will be back in full force at the
beginning of September so do please join
us then
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