AI tested for new role in weaponry

The Aukus alliance is looking to “rapidly drive” advanced artificial intelligence (AI) into military capabilities after a trial saw “world firsts” achieved with the technology, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has said.

The developments made by the trilateral partnership of Australia, the UK and US, will help “uphold the principles of freedom and democracy around the world”, the US said.

Experimental work was carried out in Upavon in Wiltshire in April which included the live retraining of models in flight, according to the MoD.

The work saw a joint deployment of Australian,

UK and US AI-enabled assets in a collaborative swarm to detect and track military targets, the MoD said.

A range of equipment was used to test target identification capability, including the UK’s Blue Bear Ghost, Challenger 2 tanks, Warrior armoured vehicles and Viking unmanned ground vehicles – along with a commercially hired FV433 Abbot selfpropelled gun and former Eastern Bloc BMP OT-90.

Joint machine-learning models were developed and also quickly updated to include new targets, the MoD said.

In a press release, the MoD revealed it achieved “world firsts, including the live retraining of models in flight and the interchange of AI models between Aukus nations”.

The event was attended by senior Aukus leaders including Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff General Rob Magowan.

He said: “This trial demonstrates the military advantage of Aukus advanced capabilities, as we work in coalition to identify, track and counter potential adversaries from a greater distance and with greater speed.

“Service personnel, scientists and engineers from our three nations combined to develop and share critical information to enhance commanders’ decision-making.

US senior adviser to the secretary of defence for Aukus, Abe Denmark, said: “This capability demonstration is truly a shared effort and is thus a critical step in our collective initiative to stay ahead of emerging threats.

The Aukus partnership was first announced in 2021 as Australia sought to respond to China’s actions in the Pacific.

Ties between the countries were reinforced as the UK published its updated integrated review of foreign and security policy, which highlights China’s “more aggressive stance”.