New innovations and modern trends
have been introduced by developed states in their defence strategies. Recent
advances in quantum computing, encryption/ decryption of electronic
information, advanced artificial intelligence etc. is opening many prospects of
military success but at the same time posing threats also. Advances in Al will
affect national security by driving change in three areas; military
superiority, information superiority, and economic superiority. However, these
developments caused by the recent strategic shift cannot be comprehended in
isolation with reliance on conventional forces against the potential threats.
It is therefore imperative to analyze these developments and discuss these
challenges to understand the future dynamics of international security
environment. Artificial intelligence is widely acknowledged as one of the most
impactful technological game changers of this century. Defense and security
domains are no exception. However, the question is how exactly Al will impact
defense and security. This is what most current Al-related defense-specific
R&D efforts as well as the first applications of Al in the military realm
are focused on. Al has significant potential for national security. For
example, existing machine learning technology could enable high degrees of
automation in labor-intensive activities such as satellite imagery analysis and
cyber defense. One of the potential applications of Al is in the sphere of
cyber defence, by detecting vulnerabilities (software bugs) and perform
response actions like self- patching. This opens new ways to strengthening
communications and information systems security by providing network
resilience, prevention and protection against cyber threats. Al can thus
overcome the shortfalls of traditional cyber security tools.
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Future progress in Al has the
potential to be a transformative national security technology, on a par with
nuclear weapons, aircraft, computers, and biotech. Each of these technologies
has led to significant changes in the strategy, organization, priorities, and
allocated resources of the national security community of developed states. The
experts are calling use of Al as the third revolution in warfare after
gunpowder and nuclear weapons. Technology always has been an integral part of
the defense sector. Precision-guided missiles, unmanned, and remotely
controlled drones, monster warships that appear as a small fishing boat on the
enemy radar, heavily armored tanks that rival the agility of much lighter and
smaller vehicles, and many more such advancements are all testament to armed
forces’ readiness to leverage tech. With the emergence of Al, however, military
weapons could add such capabilities that will bring a paradigm shift in modern
Warfare and security apparatus of states. It really, therefore, is a matter of
utilizing Al where it could indeed be most useful with minimal adverse impact.
Al in defence market is a topic that requires active academic, government.
