In Chennai, India, a nation renowned for its robust high-tech sector, the focus extends beyond commercial artificial intelligence (AI) to military applications, particularly as neighboring China maintains a significant investment in AI research.
According to a 2023 report from the Delhi Policy Group, India allocates approximately $50 million annually to AI. While this expenditure marks a commendable starting point, it pales in comparison to China's investment, which exceeds India's by over 30 times. Recognizing the imperative to avoid lagging behind in technological advancement, the report underscores the need for greater investment, particularly to foster indigenous industry players.
Antoine Levesques, a research fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), highlights India's proactive stance in developing a national sovereign AI capability tailored for defense purposes.
"India has very ambitious plans," he added. He cited the need to acquire foreign-made chips to "bolster the AI hardware capacity," noting the "abundance of talent in its tech industry already."
In October, the military introduced a robotic companion capable of navigating rugged terrain, executing tasks such as reconnaissance, removing unexploded ordnance, and serving as a stretcher for injured soldiers. Sporting two arms, two cameras, and a platform with two additional cameras, the robot is operated manually by a ground controller. There are plans within the army to potentially advance this technology further. Additionally, the country's navy reportedly possesses autonomous aquatic robots designed to access areas beyond human reach.
Described as a battery-powered platform engineered to endure harsh conditions, the robot measures one meter by one meter, as per an Indian army official cited by The Times of India.
The Signals Technology Evaluation and Adaptation Group (STEAG), an elite unit within the Indian Army, is actively researching and assessing the integration of emerging technologies like AI in the dynamic landscape of modern warfare.
According to analysis by Levesques, India and the U.S. are not only investing in AI but also collaborating in this field. In a 2022 meeting, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin engaged with his Indian counterpart, Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh, during the ninth ADMM (ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting), where AI was a prominent topic. Furthermore, in the same year, U.S. President Biden and India's Prime Minister Modi unveiled the U.S.–India Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies, signaling a joint commitment to technological advancement.
HOW ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IS RESHAPING MODERN WARFARE
Levesques highlighted the wealth of talent within India's tech industry, acknowledging the country's higher English proficiency as a potential advantage in talent availability. However, he cautioned that this alone is insufficient to counterbalance China's technological prowess.
"Both adapting U.S. technology and developing indigenous solutions require time," he emphasized, noting India's efforts in both economic and defense sectors.
Patrick Cronin, the Asia Pacific security chair at the Hudson Institute in Washington, D.C., emphasized the significant advancements brought about by generative AI, particularly in understanding a comprehensive operational picture. This technology enables militaries to utilize intelligence effectively for battlefield analysis.
AI has the potential to provide insights into the activities of foreign nations like Pakistan and China. Cronin likened this capability to ChatGPT, a form of generative AI, which can offer real-time information and simulations, providing foresight into potential scenarios.
He outlined three key military sectors where AI could be instrumental: intelligence, training, and education.
Cronin cautioned about China's advancement in autonomous technologies, mentioning its array of autonomous drones. However, he believes that broader deployment of "autonomous systems" in military contexts is still around "5-10 years away."
WHAT IS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)?
According to a senior official from the Indian defense ministry interviewed by Deutsche Welle, AI-powered drones and robots could potentially patrol borders, reducing the necessity for human involvement in perilous situations. Despite requests for comment from Fox News Digital to the Indian military, responses were not immediately provided.
Cronin raised concerns regarding the multifaceted applications of AI, acknowledging its potential for both positive and negative uses, including the dissemination of disinformation through technologies like deepfakes.
With thousands of Indian and Chinese students studying artificial intelligence at overseas universities, Cronin observed that India appears to excel in civilian AI development. However, he highlighted China's advantage in having a more centralized and well-funded military system.
Cronin added, "The integration of facial recognition with satellite imagery on a remote battlefield, coupled with potentially lethal drones, represents a capability that was unimaginable 30–40 years ago but is now readily achievable."
"The consequences of war remain deeply distressing and tragic, underscoring the imperative for ethical, precise, justifiable, and restrained military actions. India holds a pivotal position in shaping discussions surrounding the expanding utilization of AI in both battlefield scenarios and broader societal contexts. These deliberations represent nascent stages in defining future laws of warfare and establishing safeguards for a technologically advanced civilization."
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India's military continues to further its ambition and research in the field of AI as it seeks to level the playing field with China.
