Israel has declared a state of war…
After Hamas launched a surprise attack against Israeli border towns on Saturday, Israel is preparing to launch a ground invasion of Hamas’ stronghold in the Gaza Strip.
Already, Israel says Hamas fighters have killed more than 1,200 Israeli civilians.
And the death toll could have been much higher if Israel hadn’t begun integrating artificial intelligence (“AI”) into its defense systems.
I’ll show you how today.
Plus, we’ll look at how AI is changing the face of warfare on the battlefield.
Israel’s defense minister, Eyal Zamir, says the country is on a mission to become the world’s first “AI superpower.”
It’s not alone…
While most of the media’s attention is on ChatGPT and other AI consumer apps, a fierce battle is underway for military AI supremacy.
One day, countries will launch fully autonomous military strikes. They’ll also hand over the defense of their nations to thinking machines.
And the stakes couldn’t be higher. Whoever wins the race of AI supremacy will become the world’s next superpower.
Hamas fired 3,000 rockets into Israel on Saturday…
But the Israeli Defense Force (“IDF”) said these caused little or no harm because its air defense system intercepted almost 90% of the rockets.
Called the Iron Dome, this radar-based missile defense system is designed to intercept and destroy rockets fired from up to 44 miles away.
And it uses machine learning to crunch data on the speed and size of the missile, as well as the weather, to figure out the missile’s trajectory and point of impact.
Then it launches its own counter missile to take out the incoming rocket. Or, if the incoming rocket is headed to an unpopulated area, the system lets it through.
This allows it to focus on the incoming rockets with the greatest potential for harm.
This reduces the casualty count for both civilians and members of the IDF.
Separately, the IDF uses an AI system to identify targets for air strikes against its enemies.
Then it uses another AI system called Fire Factory to coordinate airstrikes using fighter jets and autonomous drones.
It’s no wonder we’re seeing rising investments in AI defense applications…
Shield AI is a defense technology company out of San Diego.
Last year, it raised $60 million to build out a program for creating AI drone pilots. This valued the company at $220 million.
The company’s valuation could soar into the billions if it wins lucrative government contracts for its technology.
And shares in machine learning company Palantir Technologies (PLTER) recently spiked on news that the U.S. Army awarded it a contract worth $250 million.
If you don’t know it already, Palantir is the U.S. software company billionaire venture capital investor and technologist Peter Thiel runs. It helps government agencies and the military crunch vast data sets to find predictive patterns.
And the Department of Defense is developing its own AI system called GAMECHANGER. Its mission is to help staff navigate the agency’s red tape and identify bloat in its budget.
In its last audit, it had trouble accounting for 61% of its $3.5 trillion in assets. So, there’s plenty of scope for cuts.
And these are just some of a vast array of AI defense applications…
Other ways militaries and intelligence agencies are using AI include…
Predictive Maintenance – Machine learning models can predict when military equipment is likely to fail. This helps to optimize maintenance schedules and improve reliability.
Cybersecurity – AI systems monitor network behavior and flag anomalies. This helps defend against hacking and cyber warfare, which are increasingly becoming part of shooting wars.
Autonomous Vehicles – Researchers are developing AI-controlled ground vehicles, flying drones, and underwater drones for reconnaissance to and offensive operations. This is what’s allowed Ukrainian forces to disable much of the Russian navy.
Natural language processing – Automated translation of languages and even dialects to help with intelligence gathering.
Wargames – AI-generated wargames offer realistic training simulations for soldiers. This helps enhance training for various situations.
Swarm Intelligence – Coordinated groups of drones or other robotic systems use AI to operate collectively. This mimics natural swarm behavior for tasks like surveillance or defense.
Resource Allocation – AI tools help optimize the deployment of troops and equipment based on real-time data and predictive analytics.
War is always tragic – whether it’s low-tech or high-tech. But right now, it’s a reality we can’t ignore.
Not only are Ukraine and Russia locked in a bloody battle, but now the IDF and Hamas are, too.
And China has been increasingly aggressive with its incursions into Taiwanese air space and coastal waters.
China has laid claim to the island since nationalist forces fled there at the end of the Chinese Civil War in 1949. And Chinese leader Xi Jinping says he’ll never renounce the right for his country to use force to take over Taiwan.
This will increase the urgency of deploying AI to better protect against military threats and dominate “the enemy” – whoever that may be.
This is not a future we wish for…
Here at the Cut, we don’t relish the thought of AI-powered robots and drones going to war with one another.
It’s far too close to some of the dystopian sci-fi futures featured in movies such as The Terminator and Starship Troopers.
We’d rather see AIs being used to settle regional quarrels through diplomacy.
But one thing we’re sure of is that AI is the future of warfare.
Whoever achieves dominance in this area will become the next indomitable military power.
And it guarantees that hundreds of billions – if not trillions – of dollars will pour into the sector and make it one of the most powerful tech megatrends of the next decade and beyond.
Regards,
Chris Lowe
Editor, The Daily Cut