Russia turns to AI as losses mount in Ukraine

Moscow hopes that an AI-enabled battlefield management system will help address command-and-control problems among front-line units.

The AI command system, known as Svod, is aimed at compensating for long-standing weaknesses in Russia’s military structure, such as slow decision-making and a shortage of experienced junior officers, according to Forbes analysis.

The Svod system is designed to collect and fuse data from satellites, aerial imagery, reconnaissance reports, and open-source information into a single operational picture.

It then uses AI and other processing techniques to model potential operational scenarios and accelerate decision-making.

The system’s initial deployment is expected in April, with formations currently engaged in offensive operations in the Pokrovsk direction among the first ones to receive it.

Svod comes as Russia’s invasion of neighboring Ukraine, launched in 2022, has allegedly resulted in over a million casualties without achieving substantial gains.

Effective implementation of Svod could prove to be a useful battlefield tool for Russian troops. However, its success will depend on the quality of the collected data and the assumptions embedded in the underlying models, according to Forbes.

Increasing use of AI in warfare

Both Russia and Ukraine have been testing AI on the battlefield, specifically drones with AI and machine learning capabilities, according to the Institute for the Study of War.

Successful integration of such drones could enable forces to reduce their reliance on human drone operators and defenders, as well as bypass electronic warfare, such as jamming.

Rights groups have spoken against using AI in warfare, calling autonomous weapons systems “killer robots.”

Amnesty International has warned that autonomous weapons can never be adequately programmed to substitute human decision-making.

“Machines can’t make complex ethical choices. They lack compassion and understanding; they make decisions based on biased, flawed, and oppressive processes,” the organization’s statement reads.

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