By Žygintas Abromaitis, LRT TV, LRT.lt.
Artificial intelligence in the field of defence is no longer a vision of the future but a present-day reality. Visiting Vilnius, Dr Una-May O’Reilly of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) said that her research shows how rapidly AI can be applied to strengthen cybersecurity, becoming an increasingly vital tool for modern defence.
Battle between AIs
It took several years to develop a system that allows Ukrainian drones to identify, with around 90% accuracy, the number and type of mines in a given field – a project achieved with input from Lithuania’s Riflemen’s Union and its partners.
According to the organisation’s commander, Colonel Linas Idzelis, the next goal is to adapt AI for use in drone swarms. While not a new idea, he says European militaries are falling behind.
“The Geran drones flying into Ukraine are released in swarms. If you shoot one down, others adjust their flight paths and continue – they communicate with one another. That means there’s no longer a human operator. These drones rely on algorithms that help them avoid interference and change course dynamically. This has been happening for several years now,” said Idzelis.
Experts attending a joint conference of Lithuanian universities and MIT said AI’s potential is virtually limitless. Paulius Vaitkevičius, Head of Innovation in Software Development at technology company Novian, revealed that a new AI assistant is being developed for the Lithuanian Armed Forces to help detect sources of disinformation and propaganda.
Read more: LRT.LT
