AI, AI, captain: Royal Navy warships to set sail with computer officers

The Royal Navy is planning to step up its use of AI to improve maritime defence, beginning with STARTLE, which is AI software that can can spot potential threats. At a briefing titled "Artificial Intelligence in Royal Navy Warships" hosted by non-profit TechUK, Blighty's navy announced it was keen to explore the potential of using machine-learning to improve operational capability in its fighting units under Project NELSON. Developed by Roke Manor Research, the company claims it is the first supplier to integrate AI software into a Defence Science and Technology Laboratory-sponsored maritime combat system demonstrator. Mike Hook, lead software architect on STARTLE at Roke, told The Register: "It's hard to implement new technology in warships because it has so much proprietary software. But integrating STARTLE will give it new data to do trials with."