India to increase use of Artificial Intelligence to equip armed forces, informs senior defence official

New Delhi: In view of future challenges, the decision to increase the use of ‘Artificial Intelligence’ (AI) in all the three defence forces has been taken. A senior official in the defence department revealed information that the defence forces will be equipped with unmanned tanks, aircrafts, navalships and robotic arms systems based on AI.

All the leading countries of the world have increased the use of AI in their defence forces. China too has included arms and systems based on AI in its defence fleets. The country had tested unmanned tanks only two months ago. In view of this, the Indian decision to include AI-based systems in the defence forces becomes important.

A major portion of the defence systems in the Indian Army, Air Force and Navy will be equipped with AI-based weaponry. The decision for deployment of the systems equipped with AI has been taken keeping in view the possible challenges in future wars. Secretary, Department of Defence Production, Ajay Kumar has announced that the government has already started working in that direction.

The underlying government intention is to prepare the defence forces for future wars and an action committee has been formed for this purpose. This committee comprised of high-ranking officials is headed by the Tata Sons Chairman N. Chandrasekaran. The committee is working on designing the project to manufacture arms systems based on AI. This project will be a public-private partnership model, informed Kumar.

The action committee will submit its recommendations to the government in June after which the project will move ahead, said Kumar. He did not reveal any further details. ‘India has a very strong base of Information technology. Therefore, India has a major capacity to develop AI-based technology’, he added.

Leading countries in the world have included AI-based arms systems in their defence forces and have also increased their use. This increases the need to include AI-based arms systems in the Indian defence forces. As per the government’s plan, a large number of unmanned tanks, ships aircrafts and robotic arm systems will be inducted in the defence forces. AI will also be used on the Chinese and Pakistani borders. This will help the surveillance activities on the border, said Kumar. India cannot remain behind when the major countries of the world are increasing the use of AI based arms systems, he clarified.

Meanwhile, the United States, Israel, the United Kingdom, Russia, France and other European countries have made large investments in the field of AI. Chinese ‘State Council’ had announced a few months ago that the focus on AI was to be increased. Two months ago, China tested unmanned tanks based on the same technology. In this situation the Indian government’s decision to equip the Indian armed forces with AI based arms systems becomes important.