Ukraine is actively implementing artificial intelligence (AI) into military technology, including for controlling unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Through intensive training programs backed by a vast database, the Ukrainian Armed Forces are developing autonomous decision-making capabilities for drones that could change the rules of the game on the modern battlefield.
As Oleksandr Dmytriev, founder of the Ukrainian non-profit digital non-profit system OCHI, told Reuters, since 2022 his platform has centralized and analyzed two million hours of video footage received from 15,000 drone operators on the front lines.
“This data is food for AI. If you want to train artificial intelligence, give it two million hours of video, and it will become something supernatural,” Dmitriev noted.
He said the data could be used to train AI models for tactical analysis, target recognition and weapon performance. “It’s essentially experience that can be translated into mathematical form. AI programs can learn the trajectories and angles at which weapons work best,” he added.
The repository is currently being updated with 5-6 terabytes of data every day. This data set has already attracted interest from Ukraine's foreign allies.
The West acknowledges the value of such a volume of information. “Humans can intuitively recognize objects, but machines must be trained to determine what is a road, a natural obstacle, or an ambush,” said Samuel Bendett, an expert at the Center for a New American Security.
In addition, Ukraine is developing other innovative systems. For example, the “Avengers” technology of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense identifies up to 12 thousand units of Russian equipment per week using AI. Work is also underway to create “swarms” of drones, where dozens of devices will be controlled by a centralized system (the head of the Ministry of Digital Affairs Fedorov promised their use next year).
At the same time, the United States is interested in these developments not in the context of a war with Russia, but as part of preparations for possible clashes in the Pacific region, Reuters writes, citing experts.
Previously, the media reported that Russia also plans to introduce artificial intelligence into the Shaheds to bypass Ukrainian air defenses.
