ADF has an eye on AI in conflicts

The ADF is considering using artificial intelligence to analyse attacks, allowing operational commanders to assess the impact and damage a unit may sustain before moving forward.

The rapidly rising technology offers “significant potential” to militaries to improve tactical capabilities and even optimise human capability, deciding which soldiers are best placed for certain missions.

That’s according to chief Defence scientist Professor Tanya Monro AC, who is responsible for overseeing investment and deployment of the technology across Australia’s military.

“In a Defence context, AI offers significant potential to assist operational decision makers in a meaningful way. AI can be used to continue or promote military advantage, enhance operational and tactical capabilities, optimise human capability and focus skilled personnel on critical areas, and spur further technology development,” Prof Munro said.

“Recent advances in AI technologies offer a range of multidomain applications, including image understanding, support to decision making, artificial creativity, natural language processing and automation.”

Prof Monro is one of the dozens of executives and managers tasked with the adoption of AI in an organisation, with the ADF a key player.

AI, as Prof Monro explains to friends and family, is “the ability for a machine to conduct activity which would normally require human intelligence”.

The ADF has been looking at the technology and its impact for some time, with AI’s potential most recently highlighted in the Defence Strategic Review.

“Trusted autonomy is one of six key priorities for the Defence Innovation, Science and Technology (IS&T) program,” Prof Monro said.

The DTSG, which researches and invests into autonomous and counter autonomous systems, is one of two networks, including the Defence Artificial Intelligence Research Network (DAIRNet), which is assessing the impact of AI.