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A group of Members of Parliament has stated that Britain should take a cue from Ukraine's use of artificial intelligence (AI) in combat against Russia.
According to the Commons Defense Committee, Kyiv integrates artificial intelligence (AI) into drones, analyzes intelligence, and evaluates warfare against Vladimir Putin's military.
In contrast, a recent assessment from the cross-party group of MPs cautioned that AI is "under-developed and requires cultivation" by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to support British defence.
Emma Lewell-Buck, a member of the committee said: âArtificial intelligence in defence is here to stay â the UK must move fast to avoid falling behind.
âThe use of AI in Ukraine shows that it offers serious military advantage on the battlefield, and as AI becomes more widespread and sophisticated, it will change the way defence works, from the back office to the frontline.
âHarnessing AI for defence requires not just updated technology but an updated approach, and in todayâs report, we call on the Ministry of Defence to transform itself into an âAI-nativeâ organisation, fully integrating AI into its work and mindset.â
The MoD needs to start thinking of AI as integral to how it solves problems and meets its objectives, the MPs said.
This includes using the technology for both frontline operations and in back office work.
The UK has the potential to become âhome to a first-class defence AI sectorâ, the committee added, though it urged the MoD to specialise its AI applications rather than compete with world leaders like China and the USA.
With the global threat picture ever-worsening, and the pace of technological change moving at a rapid speed, the Ministry of Defence has no time to lose
Emma Lewell-Buck
Ms Lewell-Buck, the Labour MP for South Shields, added: âOur inquiry discovered a gap between the Ministry of Defenceâs rhetoric and reality on AI.
âWhile the department acknowledges the importance of AI, these words have not been borne out by action. With the global threat picture ever-worsening, and the pace of technological change moving at a rapid speed, the Ministry of Defence has no time to lose.â
The Governmentâs strategic defence review gives ministers the opportunity to consider how the MoD can take advantage of AI, Ms Lewell-Buck added.
The wide-ranging review of defence commissioned by the Prime Minister is scheduled to report in the first half of 2025.
