India prepares for next gen warfare, to equip armed forces with AI

To harness the potential of emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Indian government has begun preparing for future warfare introducing them in all three forces- Navy, Army and AirForce.

The move is part of broader policy initiative, to enhance the operational preparedness of the armed forces that would be inclusive with equipping vessels, aerial vehicles, and robotic weaponry.

Talking about the development, Secretary-defence production Ajay Kumar said that this is India’s preparation for next-generation warfare. This (AI) is where the future is going to be. We need to prepare ourselves for the next generation warfare which will be more and more technology driven, automated and robotised, he was quoted by PTI report via Mint.

Countries like China, France, Britain, and Russia have already been investing heavily in AI. Similarly, India should also be AI equipped. There was an enormous potential for the use of AI in the civilian sphere as well, he added.

Tata Sons chairman N. Chandrasekaran is finalising the specifics and framework of the project. This would be implemented in a partnership model between the armed forces and the private sector.

According to military officials, the use of AI in the surveillance of India’s borders with China and Pakistan could significantly ease the pressure on armed forces personnel guarding the sensitive frontiers.

The government had doubled the fund allocation for digital India in 2018 budget to Rs 3,073 crore for the next financial year.

Earlier, the govt had directed NITI Aayog to float a national programme on artificial intelligence and conduct research on usability of the technology across various areas. The technology is also being used by the state agencies in the implementation of schemes, capturing and study records of citizen data to deliver healthcare, education, and food distribution services.

Last month, NITI Aayog piloted AI-based solution in the sectors such as agriculture, education and healthcare. NITI has also partnered with ISRO and IBM for AI solutions to improve crop productivity and soil health in the farming sector.

Of late, there has been a greater emphasis from the central govt on leveraging emerging technologies in governance. Focus on AI and Blockchain have been time and again voiced by NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant.

According to him, Artificial Intelligence has the potential to transform every industry and sector in the country. It will be bigger than the advent of the internet or harnessing electricity. In years to come, it will transform every single industry and sector.

To outrun US and Russia, China has carved out a detailed plan to become AI superpower by 2030. Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin had said that future leader of artificial intelligence will rule the world.