The European Commission is pressing the accelerator on investment in weapons and defense technologies. From a total 590 million invested between 2017 and 2020, Brussels has moved to a 7.3 billion ( 7.9 billion) package for the 2021 to 2027 period. This year alone, the European Defense Fund (EDF) has put 1.1 billion on the plate, divided into 34 calls for as many military-related research topics. From developing new drone models to sensors to increase radar capabilities. From systems to counter hypersonic missile attacks to enhancements in the analysis of images collected by satellites. From "smart weapons" to advanced communication technologies.

Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari discusses Iran's attack on Israel, saying the attacks proved that Iran seeks to "escalate the region." JERUSALEM -- Some of Israel's most advanced military technology was on display over the weekend when its multi-level aerial defense array led the way in striking down an estimated 99% of the more than 350 drones, rockets and missiles that were fired by Iran in an unprecedented attack on the Jewish state. From the Iron Dome, which in its latest format uses artificial intelligence (AI) to improve accuracy when shooting short-range surface-to-surface rockets, to David's Sling, which intercepts short- to medium-range and medium- to long-range surface-to-surface missiles, to the Arrow 2 and 3 systems, which is used for longer-range ballistic and cruise missiles, as well as AI-driven aircraft and other technology, Israel's defensive operation proved it was far superior to the offensive capabilities of the Islamic Republic. In a press briefing following the attack, Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari hailed Israel's defensive operation, which was carried out together with partners from U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), as a "very significant strategic achievement." He said it demonstrated the "exceptional professionalism" of Israel's Aerial Defense Array and the "defensive abilities of the air force as well as the army's military and technological superiority."

On December 2, the Israeli army's Arabic-language spokesperson Avichay Adraee posted a map of Gaza, broken up into a grid of numbered blocks with instructions that Palestinians living in certain areas evacuate to Rafah. Leaflets containing a QR code linking to the map on the Israeli army's website were also dropped over Gaza. This move came as Israeli fighter jets bombarded the south of the Strip – previously designated as a "safe zone" – killing hundreds of Palestinians in 24 hours. The Israeli army proudly announced that it had hit "400 targets". Meanwhile, media reports revealed that the Israeli army's ability to intensify what it calls "precision" air strikes has been boosted by an artificial intelligence (AI) tool that generates "targets".

In his new book The Last War: How AI Will Shape India's Final Showdown With China, Pravin Sawhney, the editor of FORCE magazine, disquietingly forebodes a grim scenario for 2024: "If India and China were to fight a war in the near future, India faces the prospect of losing the war within 10 days. China could take Arunachal Pradesh and Ladakh with a minimum loss of life, and there is very little that India could do about it." Is it the imagination of a defence analyst running wild? Far from it -- such scenarios have been predicted by other analysts too. A US military blog, Mad Scientist, which looks at the future of warfare, visualised a similar scenario for 2035 in February 2020, wherein China, in collusion with Pakistan, defeats India in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

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.

Editor's Note: All opinion section content reflects the views of the individual author only and does not represent a stance taken by The Collegian or its editorial board. Letters to the Editor reflect the view of a member of the campus community and are submitted to the publication for approval. I am writing this essay to bring awareness and recognition to a fast-approaching topic in the field of military technology -- weaponized artificial intelligence. Weaponized AI is any military technology that operates off a computer system that makes its own decisions. Simply put, anything that automatically decides a course of action against an enemy without human control would fall under this definition. Weaponized AI is a perfect example of a sci-fi idea that has found its way into the real world and is not yet completely understood.

Posting the landscapes of drone strikes to Instagram: Follow Dronestagram (also on Tumblr and Twitter). These are the names of places. They are towns, villages, junctions and roads. They are the names of places where people live and work, where there are families and schools. They are the names of places in Afghanistan and Yemen, which are linked by one thing: they have each been the location of drone strikes in the past couple of months.

In a provocative op-ed in the New York Times last week, PayPal and Palantir founder Peter Thiel argued that artificial intelligence is "a military technology." So, he asks, why are companies like Google and Microsoft, which have opened research labs in China to recruit Chinese researchers for their cutting-edge AI research, "sharing it with a rival"? Thiel's op-ed caused a big splash in the AI community and frustrated experts in both AI and US-China relations. An outspoken Trump backer, Thiel has been a leading voice pushing for tech to be more aligned with what he sees as America's defense interests -- and his messages have been influential among conservative intellectuals. Critics pointed out that Thiel had failed to disclose that his company, Palantir, has defense contracts with the US government totaling more than $1 billion, and that he might benefit from portraying AI as a military technology (a characterization of AI that experts dispute).

The airport's only runway was reopened on Friday morning, with a range or protection and surveillance measures reportedly put in place to prevent further chaos. One of the key tools for spotting drones will be radar. "The military has a range of technologies to secure airspace against planes, helicopters and drones," Mr Gill said. "They will be able to provide military-grade radar technology in order to help detect the drones and potentially the operators." One such radar system that may be deployed at Gatwick is the Israeli-developed Drone Dome system, of which the British Army bought six earlier this year.

Recently, analysts have argued that emerging technologies with military applications may undermine nuclear stability (see here, here, and here), but the logic of these arguments is debatable and overlooks a more straightforward reason why new technology might cause nuclear conflict: by upending the existing balance of power among nuclear-armed states. This latter concern is more probable and dangerous and demands an immediate policy response. For more than 70 years, the world has avoided major power conflict, and many attribute this era of peace to nuclear weapons. In situations of mutually assured destruction (MAD), neither side has an incentive to start a conflict because doing so will only result in its own annihilation. The key to this model of deterrence is the maintenance of secure second-strike capabilities--the ability to absorb an enemy nuclear attack and respond with a devastating counterattack.