Drones in Ukraine war soon won’t need human pilots: Commander

He talked about the ongoing development and testing of hundreds of AI systems, explaining that soldiers will only have to launch the aircraft. From there, the drone “will decide for itself where to go and how to hit the target.” Brovdi added that the weapons will be able to distinguish friends from enemies.

It is not clear what systems Brovdi is referring to, although various Ukrainian and Western companies have been working on autonomous capabilities for drones. A Ukrainian company’s AI drones have already been used on the battlefield to carry out autonomous strikes on Russian forces. But many of the drones on the battlefield, whether they’re cheap first-person view drones or high-end systems, still use human operators.

Brovdi said Ukrainian soldiers who have been at the forefront of using unmanned systems in warfare have years of experience and will be able to help train NATO’s military in drone warfare.

Brovdi said “this will become an element of our practical gratitude for your assistance in our fight for our freedom and for our country and for our families,” referring to the continued support for Ukraine from its Western partners.

Brovdi’s comments highlight the continued development of various drone capabilities amid the war in Ukraine.

Drones have become a defining element of warfare, as has the resulting arms race. Both sides in this conflict are using unmanned systems en masse and developing new countermeasures. As FPV drones emerged as a serious threat, extensive electronic warfare was used to counter them. Tethered drones connected to the operator via fiber optic cables were then used to defeat the jammer. Autonomous, AI-driven drones would also be immune.

Drones have drastically changed what the modern battlefield looks like and pushed Western militaries like the US to prioritize the development of unmanned systems and options for their elimination in combat.

Discussions about AI in drones and other weapons systems have been ongoing for the past few years. Earlier this year, the Pentagon updated its directive on autonomy in weapons systems, a move attributed by Assistant Secretary of Defense Dr. Kathleen Kicks to “the dramatic advances in technology happening all around us.”

Militaries like the US have thought bigger when it comes to AI, including autonomous fighter jets, warships and more.

But with the rise of artificial intelligence comes a number of concerns about letting autonomous systems make lethal decisions. Earlier this year, reports that Israel was using artificial intelligence to locate and target Hamas operatives raised a number of concerns about how to keep people informed.

The race for artificial intelligence in militaries has also led to international disputes over imposing regulations on the development and use of AI weapons. Some major players, such as the US, Russia and Israel, have argued that there is no need for new international regulations on such capabilities. Others, however, argue that the rules need to be implemented sooner rather than later.