- US forces in Europe could face thousands of targets and incoming threats in a future conflict.
- Officials say AI could help troops analyze targets faster than humans can alone.
- AI could recommend responses while leaving final decisions to soldiers.
US Army soldiers in Europe are readying for large-scale combat and the kind of overwhelming missile and drone attacks Ukraine is facing, where the massive number of threats can make it difficult for humans to keep up, and are looking to software for solutions.
Concern that the speed and scale of future warfare could be too great for humans to handle without help is growing; however, Army officials have said artificial intelligence can help soldiers process large amounts of data from sensors and networks to deliver potential responses in a fight.
At the Association of the United States Army convention in Washington, DC, last month, service leaders and soldiers spoke about using AI to process battlefield data and help troops make decisions without removing humans from the process.
"I think it's important to use super intelligence… for things that humans aren't necessarily good at, and that's speed and scale," Brig. Gen. Steven Carpenter, head of Multi-Domain Command Europe, told Business Insider, "but I also know we shouldn't take humans completely out of the loop."
Earlier this year, Carpenter told reporters that US forces in Europe needed to be prepared to process more than 1,500 potential targets a day while also defending against as many as 1,200 incoming missiles and drones.
That volume of targets and threats could overwhelm human analysts, but AI could help them keep up.
In a conflict, soldiers could use AI to analyze battlefield data and targets based on a commander's objectives and other parameters. The system could then assess available military capabilities and recommend responses, from conventional weapons strikes to electronic warfare or cyber operations.
The entire process is intended to move quickly, but officials say speed isn't the only benefit. AI can also remember or recognize patterns that humans might forget or not even notice in the first place. And all of that information provides commanders with options.
AI and autonomy are quickly being integrated across uncrewed systems, command and control processes, and other technologies.
US Army photo by Sgt. Collin Mackall
"So again, the human is making the decision, the final call, looking at everything that you need to do in order to prosecute a valid target within the Law of Armed Conflict," Carpenter said.
He said the intent "isn't to replace those analysts," but rather to ultimately help "unburden them so that they're focusing on the really tough targets," such as a dual-use facility or other potential targets that need more analysis.
Carpenter said that the estimates for targets and threats reflect "what we think Ukraine's worst day is," underscoring the scale of attacks US forces could face in a future conflict. Russia's war against Ukraine has involved frequent, heavy drone and missile bombardments. These strike packages are complex, consisting of ballistic and cruise missiles, as well as one-way attack drones, more and more of which are equipped with jet engines that make them faster and harder to kill.
Earlier this year, a joint US Army and NATO exercise in Europe saw troops use a homegrown AI system to consume and sort data. The AI was in beta-testing; Army officials said they aimed to test it on a larger scale at a future exercise.
The integration of AI across the military is moving fast, spanning from autonomous features in drones, weapons, and targeting to agentic processes for sorting through data and referencing information. Beyond the battlefield, US personnel are using new tools to change institutional processes and workflows.
The Army is also incorporating AI into its Next Generation Command and Control, the service's new warfighting system. NGC2 uses AI and machine learning to provide commanders and soldiers with real-time data on targeting, capabilities, ammunition levels, maintenance needs, intelligence feeds, and simulated enemy attacks.
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