The U.S. Department of Defence is considering the development of a broad network of technology powered by artificial intelligence, drones, and various autonomous systems in the next two years to counter threats from China and other adversaries.
The department is expected to allocate hundreds of millions of dollars to enhance aerial, ground, and naval artificial intelligence systems, aiming for them to be compact, intelligent, and cost-effective.
The United States aims to keep up with the rapidly expanding Chinese military amidst concerns that the bureaucracy of the Pentagon takes a long time to develop and deploy advanced systems.
Furthermore, the department aims to expand a network of unmanned aerial vehicles and sensors for the U.S. Navy, developed to monitor Iranian military activities in the Middle East.
The U.S. is considering the development of various capabilities, including independent ground systems to provide logistical services, numerous autonomous space systems, making it difficult for the enemy to destroy, and anti-missile autonomous systems.
Such Autonomous systems depend on artificial intelligence to detect and engage enemy targets, which may include self-guided drones.
The DOD has been investing in these systems for a long time, including unmanned ships and aircraft.
The Pentagon’s actions are driven by the progress China has made in these areas, possessing more ships than the U.S. Navy and investing in autonomous systems.
In 2022, a report from the U.S. Department of Defence concluded that China had already developed an increasing number of autonomous systems for military use. However, observers and stakeholders are raising many questions about the feasibility of this initiative, including whether it will receive sufficient funding in Washington to achieve its objectives.
