For too long, the conversation on AI and militaries has been narrowly focused on autonomous weapons and the ethical issues that come with them. The time is ripe to take stock of the myriad of other ways that AI will impact security and military affairs. Just as AI is dramatically changing a range of sectors in the civilian world, improving efficiency, reducing costs, and automating processes, there is no reason to believe that militaries, too, will not be joining the AI revolution. Israel is a world leader in developing autonomous military capabilities, from Iron Dome interceptors to unmanned aerial vehicles to ground-based platforms – though all currently rely on human approval before kinetic firepower can be activated, in line with the values of the Israeli defense establishment. The question of what will happen when adversaries deploy autonomous weapons that do not seek a person in the loop for approval to use lethal firepower looms on the horizon for all militaries defending democratic states.

Artificial intelligence is not like us. For all of AI's diverse applications, human intelligence is not at risk of losing its most distinctive characteristics to its artificial creations. Yet, when AI applications are brought to bear on matters of national security, they are often subjected to an anthropomorphizing tendency that inappropriately associates human intellectual abilities with AI-enabled machines. A rigorous AI military education should recognize that this anthropomorphizing is irrational and problematic, reflecting a poor understanding of both human and artificial intelligence. The most effective way to mitigate this anthropomorphic bias is through engagement with the study of human cognition -- cognitive science.

The Diplomat's Franz-Stefan Gady talks to Elsa B. Kania about the potential implications of artificial intelligence (AI) for the military and how the world's leading military powers -- the United States, China, and Russia -- are planning to develop and deploy AI-enabled technologies in future warfighting. Kania is an Adjunct Senior Fellow with the Technology and National Security Program at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS). Her research focuses on Chinese military innovation in emerging technologies. She is also a Research Fellow with the Center for Security and Emerging Technology at Georgetown University and a non-resident fellow with the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI). Currently, she is a Ph.D. student in Harvard University's Department of Government. Kania is the author of numerous articles and reports including Battlefield Singularity: Artificial Intelligence, Military Revolution, and China's Future Military Power and A New Sino-Russian High-Tech Partnership. Her most recent report is Securing Our 5G Future, and she also recently co-authored a policy brief AI Safety, Security, and Stability Among Great Powers. She can be followed @EBKania.

Seeking to fight future wars with indigenous artificial intelligence (AI), a top Army officer on Friday said, India will soon catch up with the world in terms of advancements in the modern warfare technology and AI is going to be the next most disruptive technology in military affairs. Indicating departure from the conventional war techniques, South Western Army Commander Lieutenant General Alok Kler said, "It's time to incorporate assisted decision making in future warfare to be more efficient and more accurate." "AI is the next most disruptive technology in the revolution of Military Affairs as it is going to make the equipment more lethal," he added. Speaking on the possibility of a complete AI war, the official said that we can use AI in the next 10 years for decision making but a war based on AI is a distant possibility. Highlighting the technological race, the official said that India is a late starter in the field of artificial intelligence but will slowly catch up really quickly and added that most of the infotech brains are coming from South Asia.

Although China could initially only observe the advent of the Information-Technology Revolution in Military Affairs, the People's Liberation Army might presently have a unique opportunity to take advantage of the military applications of artificial intelligence to transform warfare. When the United States first demonstrated its superiority in network-centric warfare during the first Gulf War, the PLA was forced to confront the full extent of its relative backwardness in information technology. Consequently, the PLA embarked upon an ambitious agenda of "informatization" (???). To date, the PLA has advanced considerably in its capability to utilize information to enhance its combat capabilities, from long-range precision strike to operations in space and cyberspace. Currently, PLA thinkers anticipate the advent of an "intelligentization Revolution in Military Affairs" that will result in a transformation from informatized ways of warfare to future "intelligentized" (???) warfare. For the PLA, this emerging trend heightens the imperative of keeping pace with the U.S. military's progress in artificial intelligence, after its failure to do so in information technology.

Although China could initially only observe the advent of the Information-Technology Revolution in Military Affairs, the People's Liberation Army might presently have a unique opportunity to take advantage of the military applications of artificial intelligence to transform warfare. When the United States first demonstrated its superiority in network-centric warfare during the first Gulf War, the PLA was forced to confront the full extent of its relative backwardness in information technology. Consequently, the PLA embarked upon an ambitious agenda of "informatization" (信息化). To date, the PLA has advanced considerably in its capability to utilize information to enhance its combat capabilities, from long-range precision strike to operations in space and cyberspace. Currently, PLA thinkers anticipate the advent of an "intelligentization Revolution in Military Affairs" that will result in a transformation from informatized ways of warfare to future "intelligentized" (智能化) warfare.