How AI and emerging technology are shaping the future of war

With A.I. and technology continuing to evolve every year, the future of war is seemingly unknown.

The United States leads the world in many critical defensive technologies, especially A.I., thanks to the private sector’s massive investments. However, many authoritarian regimes around the world have accelerating their investments and finding ways to incorporate innovations into their militaries now.

Daniel Rothenberg, PhD, and Co-Director of Future Security Initiative at Arizona State University, joined “Arizona Horizon” to expand more on what the future of war may entail.

“Drones are changing certain aspects of the character of warfare,” Rothenberg said, “…they provide intelligence and reconnaissance capabilities, so they can see things, they can loiter, they can provide information in real time, and they can deliver munitions.”

The United States had used drones extensively after the 9/11 attacks, as it became a major technological advancement for the Bush and Obama administrations. Rothenberg emphasized how there are numerous types of drones, and fully autonomous drones are on the horizon.

“The U.S. drones that were so widely used in Afghanistan or Iraq were pretty big, and they do all sorts of things, and they cost a lot of money to create,” Rothenberg said. “But the drones being used in Ukraine are sort of off-the-shelf drones that are adjusted to be used in combat.”

Rothenberg explained how the U.S. drones, which are highly sophisticated, can handle larger munitions like Hellfire missiles. However, the least sophisticated drones would have very small amounts of munitions that can kill individual soldiers.

“It isn’t just drones, it’s all sorts of new military technologies that are rapidly evolving,” Rothenberg said, “…that are going to be using more and more AI…swarms of drones…all sorts of new things that will change the character of warfare, and they are already changing.”

According to Rothenberg, there are currently plans to have drones fly along with fighter jets, and there are some drones that are ocean-based as well.