AI on battlefield in hot seat on Capitol Hill
The House Armed Services Committee holds a hearing on the Department of Defense using artificial intelligence.
Retired Army Gen. Mark Milley believes that artificial intelligence will be a critical component of keeping the U.S. military one step ahead of potential adversaries.
"Our military is going to have to change if we are going to continue to be superior to every other military on Earth," Milley, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said during an interview with "60 Minutes" this week.
According to Milley, future wars will look drastically different with the seemingly rapid development of AI technology, something the U.S. will have to be prepared for and adopt if they want to win future wars.
US, NOT CHINA, SHOULD TAKE LEAD ON AI
The XQ-58A Valkyrie demonstrates the separation of the ALTIUS-600 unmanned aircraft system during a test at the U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona on March 26, 2021. (U.S. Air Force)
"Artificial intelligence is extremely powerful," Milley said. "It's coming at us. I suspect it will be probably optimized for command and control of military operations within maybe 10 to 15 years, max."
That sentiment is shared by Christopher Alexander, a former Army information warfare operations operator and current chief analytics officer of Pioneer Development Group, who told Fox News Digital that the technology will be useful to military planners in more ways than one.
"AI is crucial for a range of different functions in the military. From autonomous vehicles to intelligence analysis, AI will help make more of existing resources," Alexander said, adding that such technology will allow "planners and analysts to be freed from more monotonous tasks to focus on higher-order thinking."
"At the core of all of these capabilities is the ability of AI to expedite the understanding of difficult circumstances and rapidly respond with precision strike capabilities," Alexander said. "This will transfer from staff processes all the way to the battlefield."
Then-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley speaks during a news conference at the Pentagon. (AP Photo / Manuel Balce Ceneta / File)
Milley told "60 Minutes" that one specific area where AI will do this is with the "OODA loop" (observe, orient, decide, act) with military leaders constantly attempting to determine the next course of action to outmaneuver their enemy. In the past, Milley said, such a strategy would have seen Napoleon waking up in the middle of the night to issue orders before the British had morning tea, but in the future, AI will be used to analyze large chunks of information and give suggestions on where and when to move U.S. forces.
"This is a perfect example of where AI and war gaming can intersect to set strategy and tactics," Phil Siegel, founder of the Center for Advanced Preparedness and Threat Response Simulation, told Fox News Digital. "There are so many options for using AI, from autonomous vehicles to troop and equipment placement, to consumables usage and replenishment, to simply providing input on battle strategy and tactics. Gaming which uses will be most advantageous and have the best payoff will allow the military to invest wisely in the technology."
Siegel noted that it will be important for the military to hire "solid AI experts" and have solid relationships "with the private sector," something that would "allow the military to accelerate its capabilities."
"Everyone is already using AI technologies and will be accelerating their use," Siegel said. "Our military needs to invest heavily to stay out front."
The Pentagon (Tom Brenner / Bloomberg via Getty Images / File)
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Like Siegel, Milley says every country will have access to and use AI technology in military operations, making it critical for the U.S. to stay at the forefront of the changing landscape.
But when asked if such technology could lead to wars becoming more likely, Milley said such implications are something that leaders are still trying to "come to grips with."
"It could. It actually could," Milley said. "Artificial intelligence has a huge amount of legal, ethical and moral implications that we're just beginning to start to come to grips with."
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