Nato pushes forward with AI-based high-tech warfare

Nato pushes forward with AI-based high-tech warfare

Brussels, 6/13/2021

NATO is considering a tech innovation center to support AI and digital defense startups, which could be funded by a VC fund that member nations would voluntarily join, the Financial Times reports.

Support for AI-based high-tech warfare will be one of the many topics up for discussion during this week’s NATO summit.

A proposed NATO accelerator would allow militaries and tech companies to join forces on AI innovations, increase security and create a larger market for products, experts argue.

NATO allies face a growing threat from countries such as China, which is investing heavily in AI, Big Data and autonomous systems. China’s innovations can be used for advanced weapons systems, giving it the upper hand, according to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

NATO allies no longer lead in advanced technology, which puts pressure on countries to accelerate innovation. Part of that is the shift in how Western defense institutions pursue innovation, he noted.

For decades, technological development generally took place in the military, which shared it with the civilian sector. Now, new disruptive technologies such as AI are being pursued in the opposite direction, with industry leading the way, Stoltenberg said.

NATO should explore AI-based command and control systems for a more unified battlefield across regions, said Ulrike Franke, a military technology expert at the European Council on Foreign Relations.