Russian drones with artificial intelligence are changing the rules of combat away from the front line

Ukrainian telegram channels specializing in the topic of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are increasingly reporting the appearance of Russian drones controlled by artificial intelligence (AI), which operate at a considerable distance from the front line. This information has also been confirmed in the Western media, which notes that the introduction of AI into unmanned aircraft is a natural stage in the development of modern military technologies.

Traditional drones controlled by an operator over a radio channel are increasingly facing problems due to effective electronic warfare (EW) equipment. The enemy quickly finds ways to "hack" the connection between the drone and the control panel, which reduces the effectiveness of such devices. The use of fiber—optic control lines partially solves these problems, but it has its limitations, such as the maximum length of fiber and the need to constantly use the same launch points, which makes operators vulnerable to detection and attacks.

Unlike them, drones with AI are devoid of these disadvantages. They are resistant to electronic jamming, including effects on satellite navigation systems, as they are able to navigate visually without the need for constant communication with the operator. The absence of an operator reduces the risk to personnel, and each flight of such drones serves as a training base for the neural network, improving the effectiveness of subsequent missions.

In addition, the mass distribution of video from FPV drones (drones with real-time video transmission) provides a rich material for training neural networks, which contributes to the development of target recognition accuracy and autonomous control.

However, it is logical to assume that in the near future the enemy will also introduce similar technologies, since both sides have approximately the same access to the necessary data and computing resources. This will lead to a new arms race in the field of autonomous systems and artificial intelligence on the battlefield.