The UK's new Defence AI Centre is now operational – officials say the new collaborative centre will "enhance Defence's ability to harness the game-changing power of artificial intelligence to achieve strategic outcomes." It has already been examining work on uncrewed ground vehicles and more covert drones. The Defence AI Centre (DAIC) has a "federated, collaborative model" the Ministry of Defence (MOD) says. Work by its AI project teams will be split across three of its existing organisations: Defence Digital, the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, and Defence Equipment & Support's Future Capability Group. The Defence AI centre was first discussed publicly by General Sir Patrick Sanders, Commander of Strategic Command in May 2021 in a landmark speech in which he said the UK was being confronted by a "technological tsunami" of threats among which "the one ring to rule them all, is Artificial Intelligence…" In that same speech General Sanders said MOD would "adopt and exploit AI for defence at scale", adding that the source of military advantage lies ever less in hardware platforms, and increasingly in the ability to "sense, understand and orchestrate… sensor networks, the data, the PED [processing, exploitation, and dissemination of intelligence] and the effectors: kinetic or non-kinetic" across a given kill-chain.

Plans for the future of cutting-edge UK Artificial Intelligence (AI) defence technology have been unveiled in a new strategy published today at London Tech Week AI Summit. The strategy and accompanying policy on the'Ambitious, Safe and Responsible' use of AI underpin a new Defence AI Centre (DAIC), which will offer a visionary hub to champion, enable and innovate these technologies across the UK Armed Forces with pace and ambition. In the face of ever-evolving threats to global security, the Defence AI Strategy outlines how the UK will prioritise research, development, and experimentation to revolutionise our Armed Forces capabilities through new concepts and cutting-edge technology to deliver the latest equipment to the battlefield through effective, efficient, trusted pathways. Concepts include AI-enabled autonomous combat vehicles and resupply systems to deliver supplies without putting people in danger, or soldiers on the front-line guided by smart systems drawing on hours of detailed footage captured by a series of small drones. We also publish today our policy on the'Ambitious, Safe and Responsible' use of AI, developed through partnership with the Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation (CDEI), including new ethical principles for the use of AI in Defence.

Plans for the future of cutting-edge UK Artificial Intelligence (AI) defence technology have been unveiled in a new strategy published today at London Tech Week AI Summit. The strategy and accompanying policy on the'Ambitious, Safe and Responsible' use of AI underpin a new Defence AI Centre (DAIC), which will offer a visionary hub to champion, enable and innovate these technologies across the UK Armed Forces with pace and ambition. In the face of ever-evolving threats to global security, the Defence AI Strategy outlines how the UK will prioritise research, development, and experimentation to revolutionise our Armed Forces capabilities through new concepts and cutting-edge technology to deliver the latest equipment to the battlefield through effective, efficient, trusted pathways. Concepts include AI-enabled autonomous combat vehicles and resupply systems to deliver supplies without putting people in danger, or soldiers on the front-line guided by smart systems drawing on hours of detailed footage captured by a series of small drones. We also publish today our policy on the'Ambitious, Safe and Responsible' use of AI, developed through partnership with the Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation (CDEI), including new ethical principles for the use of AI in Defence.