Advances in technology change the way wars are fought. Courtesy | Facebook

As artificial intelligence improves and expands its application to warfare, Hillsdale College faculty say the technology will not replace humans as strategic decision-makers.

The use of artificial intelligence in air combat drones is already in its experimental stages in the American military. The U.S. Air Force’s XQ-58A Valkyrie operates as a “robot wingman” that uses AI to detect a threat, identify a target, and — after a human go-ahead — eliminate the combatant.

From facial recognition to autonomous weapons, possible uses of artificial intelligence are expanding, said Associate Professor in Computer Science John Seiffertt.

“For an autonomous weapons platform, a small robot that would just have weapons that would go seek out the fire opponent — that could be a thing,” Seiffertt said. “What’s released then is a bunch of war dogs with machine guns on them or whatever to send them to the woods and they go off and wreak havoc.”

Edward Gutierrez, director of the Center for Military History and Grand Strategy, said advancements have affected warfare throughout history.

“Technological innovation always plays a role in military strategy,” Gutierrez said. “From gunpowder and bayonets to the realm of logistics with railroads and aircraft carriers.”

Assistant Professor of History Jason Gehrke pointed to information technology in particular as a force for change on the battlefield.

“In the 20th century — and even more so since 9/11 — information technology created capabilities in combined arms warfare that would have been impossible in earlier periods,” Gehrke said. “By the mid-20th century, great powers could conduct operations on land/air/sea coordinated on a larger scale, which were capable of striking very minute targets. Communication and information technology made that possible.”

Mark Moyar, William P. Harris Chair in Military History, said artificial intelligence is building on those technologies developed in the 20th century.

“The advent of the computer enabled military organizations to collect, process, and transmit information more quickly and accurately,” Moyar said. “AI now makes it possible to expedite the processing and analyzing of information at much more rapid speeds.”

But even as artificial intelligence helps militaries process data and make decisions, conflicts will still manifest with boots on the ground, Gehrke said.

“Policy leaders have been at times persuaded to think wars could be decisively won without soldiers on the ground,” Gehrke said. “We know now — I hope — that is not the case.” 

Seiffertt said he is concerned humans will be too eager to turn over decisions to machines.

“At some level, it’s human decisions, and we shouldn’t turn it all over to automation,” Seiffertt said. “Because then it’s that other artificial mind making a decision instead of us, and we haven’t figured out whether that’s something we want to do.”

Gehrke said some leaders will continue to fall into the same trap as new technologies develop. He expects some in the defense and policy community will start to think all strategic planning and decision-making can be handed over to AI, but he disagrees with that idea.

“We’ll eventually learn there is no substitute for human experience and judgment,” Gehrke said. “We will always need tactical and strategic leadership drawing on historical experience. Technology will not remove that need.”

Gutierrez said it is important to remember humans, not machines, decide “strategic-level doctrine.”

“The AI hype parallels the same pattern we see throughout history that always arrives with technological innovation,” Gutierrez said. “However, in the end, warfare is man versus man.” 

“Unless the machines become sentient,” he said, “but that is another story.”