The future of the defence force looks to be integrating its human assets with new robotic assets, coming together in a program to become joint lethal protectors.
The use of advanced technologies in battle are increasing and it is predicted that by the middle of this century, military forces will contain many thousands of robots, and our human commanders and soldiers will l be informed and guided by artificial intelligence1.
It is not a matter of whether the combining of robotics and humans in warfare takes place but a matter of when and how. The Australian Defence Force is leading the way in human-machine teaming, with emergent capabilities already entering service, with a particular focus on the AI assets enabling soldier performance, improving decision-making, protecting human members of the force, and greater efficiency2.
Assets that offer AI technology hold potential threats to data security. In addition to the regular cyber threats, the ADF also faces the challenge of weaponising its assets. At this emerging stage, the ADF is looking deeply into the moral, legal and ethical issues that go hand-in-hand with weaponised robots and collaborating with its allies to ensure unnecessary duplication of technologies can be avoided. Knowledge-sharing over similar assets is critical before engaging in field capability.
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2 Sourced: https://www.army.gov.au/sites/default/files/publications/robototic_autonomous_systems_strategy.pdf