🔗 Share this article

"Such technology constitutes the coming danger," warns Serhiy Beskrestnov, that recently acquired a recently captured Russian unmanned aerial vehicle.

It was no ordinary device as well, it was revealed. Powered by artificial intelligence, the unmanned aerial vehicle can locate and attack objectives autonomously.

The consultant has inspected many drones in his role as the nation's defence forces consultant.

In contrast to other models, it didn't send or receive any signals, so be impossible to be jammed.

Both sides' forces are testing AI in the conflict, and for certain tasks they are already deploying it, to assist in target identification, gathering intelligence and clearing mines.

For the nation's military, AI has become indispensable.

"The military receives over 50,000 footage feeds [from the battlefield] every month which are processed by artificial intelligence," states Ukraine's deputy defence minister.

"It helps us quickly handle this massive data, pinpoint objectives and mark them on a digital chart."

AI-Driven Technology as a Strategic Asset

AI-empowered tech is seen as a tool that can enhance strategic planning, make the most of assets and ultimately save lives.

However regarding autonomous armaments, it is also transforming the warzone.

Ukrainian soldiers currently employ AI-powered systems enabling drones lock on a target and then operate independently for the final segment until the mission is over.

Jamming cannot be done and destroying such a small flying object proves difficult.

In the future these systems will likely become fully autonomous armaments that can find and destroy objectives on their own.

An operator must do is tap a button on a smartphone app, notes a tech executive, head of Ukrainian tech company.

It will do everything else, he says, locating the objective, dropping munitions, evaluating the damage and afterwards returning to base.

"It doesn't demand flight experience from the user," he adds.

Defensive Drones and Future Developments

Defensive drones with such automation could significantly enhance defensive systems against enemy remote strike aircraft, like the notorious Shaheds.

"An AI-driven self-operating unit can be better than a person in numerous aspects," explains Azhnyuk. "It can be sharper. It can see the objective faster than a human can. It can be quicker."

The deputy defence minister says that kind of technology is not yet available, but he suggests the country is nearing finishing its creation. "They've partially integrated it in some devices," says the deputy defence minister.

There could even be thousands of these technologies deployed by the end of 2026, predicts the developer.

Cautions and Risks of Total Independence

But Local creators are wary of completely relying on military technologies that rely entirely on AI, without any operator input. The risk is that AI might not distinguish a friendly soldier from a hostile one, as they may be wearing the same uniform, notes Vadym, who asked to remain anonymous.

The firm produces remotely controlled automatic weapons, that employ artificial intelligence to automatically detect people and follow them. Because of concerns over accidental attacks, he says they avoid including an automatic shooting feature.

"It can be activated, but we need to get more experience and additional input from the military units to determine the safe conditions to use this feature."

Ethical Concerns and International Regulations

Additionally, there are fears that automated systems will violate the rules of war. How will they avoid injuring non-combatants, or distinguish soldiers who wish to yield?

According to the official, the ultimate choice in these cases should rest with a human, even if AI could make it "simpler to choose". But it's not certain that states or militant factions will follow international humanitarian norms.

So counteracting these systems is increasingly important.

How can one halt a "swarm of drones" when jamming or using aircraft, tanks or missiles proves useless?

The nation's highly successful "Web" mission, when a hundred unmanned aircraft targeted Russian air bases last June, is believed to be supported by artificial intelligence.

Numerous locals worry that the adversary may replicate that tactic, not just on the front line but beyond it too.

Ukraine's president warned the UN last month that AI was contributing to "the most destructive arms race in history."

He called for global rules for the use of AI in weapons, and stated the matter was "equally pressing as preventing the proliferation of atomic arms."