Today GPT-5 is highly discussed. But even more important: Artificial Intelligence (AI) is reshaping military operations worldwide, revolutionizing intelligence gathering, autonomous systems, decision-making, and logistics. This technological revolution promises to increase operational effectiveness while also bringing ethical and strategic challenges. But is it trustworthy? Should we give AI the power to kill and to protect?
AI Today: Enhancing Intelligence, Autonomy, and Cyber Defense
AI is deeply integrated into modern military activities. In Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR), AI-powered “deep sensing” systems collect and analyze vast battlefield data from satellites, drones, and sensors, enabling real-time situational awareness far beyond human capacity. “The first operational imperative for the Army of 2030 is to see and sense farther, and more persistently at every level across the battlefield than our enemies. So how are we going to do that? We will need to collect and analyze unprecedented amounts of raw data from many different types of sources.” U.S. Army programs like “High Accuracy Detection and Exploitation System” (HADES) and “Tactical Intelligence Targeting Access Node” (TITAN) exemplify this approach, fusing multi-domain data to improve battlefield understanding (Klōnowska & van der Maarel, 2025).
Autonomous drones and weapon systems utilize AI to identify targets and conduct reconnaissance or strikes with minimal human intervention. The U.S. Army’s Project Maven illustrates the deployment of AI in analyzing combat drone footage to accelerate intelligence cycles and reduce operator fatigue.
AI also enhances cybersecurity by detecting and countering cyberattacks faster than traditional methods, continuously learning from new threats to strengthen defenses. Predictive maintenance powered by AI sensors, such as on F-35 fighter jets, reduces system failures and downtime by forecasting equipment issues before they occur.
Future Horizons: Generative AI, Autonomous Combat, and Swarm Robotics
The future of military AI is set to include generative AI tools designed to assist commanders and logistics personnel by processing large datasets and offering intelligent decision support, easing cognitive burden in warfighting and readiness. Developments in autonomous combat systems may increase precision and reduce casualties by automating complex tasks, such as real-time target recognition, though experts emphasize the need for sustained human control to uphold ethical standards.
Simulation and training will be transformed through AI-powered virtual environments, allowing soldiers to acquire skills safely with programs that analyze individual performance for tailored improvement. Swarm robotics, where coordinated AI-controlled drones operate collectively to overwhelm enemy defenses or conduct surveillance, also present promising capabilities but raise urgent questions about control, responsibility, and ethics.
Integrating Generative AI in Professional Military Education (PME)
Another critical dimension of harnessing AI’s military potential lies in its integration into Professional Military Education (PME). As AI technologies—particularly generative AI—advance rapidly, military education institutions are recognizing the necessity of preparing future leaders and personnel to operate effectively in AI-augmented operational environments.
Experts argue that AI literacy among faculty and students is a strategic imperative. This involves not only understanding AI’s technical capabilities but also ethical considerations, decision-making impacts, and operational integration. For example, the U.S. Department of Defense has initiated dedicated AI task forces to guide responsible usage across education and operations, emphasizing principles like governability, accountability, and traceability (U.S. Army, 2025).
Academic and training programs are evolving to blend AI tools with traditional military disciplines. This involves developing controlled, military-specific AI datasets to train AI systems that respect classification constraints and operational relevance. “(…) The solution is to develop controlled military datasets for training military-specific AI tools. These instruments can be constrained to specific information that best exemplifies the military context by uploading only military sources. Such tools would need to be restricted and limited to the unclassified or classified systems on which they learned.”
The US Air Force and Space Force’s release of internal AI tools such as “NIPRGPT” demonstrates the appetite and utility of AI integration in professional settings, with tens of thousands of service members engaging with these platforms shortly after deployment.
Furthermore, faculty development programs are essential to equip educators with skills to teach AI literacy and foster critical thinking about AI’s role in warfare. This educational evolution aims to close the “two cultures” gap described by C.P. Snow—bridging between technical sciences and humanities—to create leaders who understand both technological innovation and its human, ethical dimensions.
Military medical education similarly benefits from AI integration. Recent studies highlight that military healthcare educators, trainees, and industry partners need to co-create AI-enhanced curricula to prepare medical professionals for AI-driven environments, ensuring safe, effective, and ethical AI usage in clinical and operational contexts (Peacock et al., 2025).
Internationally, forums such as the NATO Defense College Conference of Commandants (CoC 2025) have underscored the strategic importance of incorporating generative AI tools into higher professional military education to keep pace with emerging warfare paradigms (NATO Defense College, 2025).
In summary, the integration of generative AI into PME is essential not only to enhance operational effectiveness but to instill ethical awareness, critical understanding, and strategic foresight among future military leaders. This educational transformation ensures that personnel can leverage AI responsibly and adapt to rapidly evolving conflict environments.
Expert Perspectives: Balancing Innovation with Ethics and Governance
Experts underscore the dual-edged nature of military AI. Leading scholars warn that AI-supported targeting and lethal operations risk violating international humanitarian law and moral norms without robust regulations. Dr. Kanaka Rajan of Harvard Medical School highlights potential geopolitical destabilization if AI weaponry development outpaces ethical governance (Harvard Medical School, 2024).
Analysts argue that AI can limit human casualties and boost operational effectiveness but emphasize that careful policy-making and transparency are essential. According to the authors Klaudia Klōnowska and Sofie van der Maarel, AI’s integration—like the U.S. Army’s “deep sensing”—must be understood within the broader context of its consequences on warfare and society (Opinio Juris, 2025).
Artificial Intelligence is accelerating the evolution of warfare by enabling unprecedented situational awareness, autonomous operations, and predictive logistics. As these capabilities mature, their impact will hinge on the alignment of technological innovation with stringent ethical standards and global cooperation.
Ethical or operational ? Learn More – A readers digest on AI in military
Deep Sensing: How AI is reshaping military intelligence
This article discusses the concept of “deep sensing” as an emerging frontier in military AI, emphasizing enhanced capabilities in intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR). Deep sensing integrates advanced sensors with artificial intelligence to collect, fuse, and analyze vast amounts of battlefield data from diverse sources like satellites, drones, and ground stations to provide unprecedented situational awareness. Programs such as the U.S. Army’s HADES and TITAN exemplify this approach, enabling forces to “see farther” and “see deeper” into enemy territory, even under degraded communication conditions. The reliance on AI to process this data efficiently is critical, enabling faster, more accurate decisions for target acquisition and battlefield management. The article also highlights legal, ethical, and political implications tied to such surveillance capabilities and calls for scrutiny over the political and security dimensions of these technologies. (source)
Integrating Generative AI in Professional Military Education
This piece examines the integration of generative AI technology into Professional Military Education (PME) to prepare military leaders and personnel for AI-augmented operational environments. It stresses the need for AI literacy in the military, incorporating technical understanding, ethical considerations, and operational applications. Practical steps include adapting curricula to blend AI tools with traditional military disciplines, using military-specific AI datasets, and enhancing faculty skills to teach AI literacy and foster critical thinking. The article emphasizes human-machine teaming, governance, and accountability in deploying AI and showcases initiatives like internal AI platforms used by the U.S. Air Force and Space Force. It also notes international efforts, including NATO conferences, focusing on the strategic importance of embedding generative AI in military education to keep pace with technological and warfare changes. (source)
Risks of Artificial Intelligence in Weapons Design – Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School experts, led by computational neuroscientist Kanaka Rajan, outline significant risks posed by AI-powered weapons. These autonomous or semi-autonomous systems, often involving drones or robots, introduce new geopolitical and ethical challenges. Key risks include lowering the threshold for entering conflicts as AI-powered weapons reduce human casualties among troops, creating potential geopolitical instability. The appropriation of AI research for military purposes might suppress nonmilitary AI scientific progress, while governments may use AI to diminish human accountability in lethal decisions. The article calls for urgent governance, transparency, and international regulation to mitigate these risks, highlighting the intersection of military AI innovation and foundational scientific research impacts. (source)
Enhancing Professional Military Education with AI
This source focuses on how AI can be used to improve military education by enhancing personalized learning, speeding readiness, and fostering critical thinking skills. AI-powered tools analyze individual student performance, tailor educational content, and simulate complex operational scenarios, resulting in more effective training outcomes. The article highlights faculty development initiatives and stresses the need for military educators to bridge technical knowledge and ethical awareness, preparing future leaders to operate responsibly alongside AI systems. It also addresses challenges such as maintaining transparency and accountability within AI-enhanced education frameworks. (source)
NATO Defense College Annual Conference 2025
The NATO Defense College’s 2025 Conference of Commandants explored the strategic implications of generative AI and other emerging technologies for military education and defence policy. Discussions emphasized the urgency of integrating generative AI into professional military training to prepare forces for rapidly evolving conflict environments. The conference highlighted collaboration among NATO members to establish shared frameworks for AI use, governance, and ethical standards in military contexts. It underscored that education and training remain fundamental to adapting military structures and doctrines to new AI-driven paradigms while maintaining interoperability among allied forces. (source)
Transforming Military Healthcare Education and Training
This article presents research on the role of AI in revolutionizing military healthcare education and operations. It underscores the collaboration between educators, trainees, and industry stakeholders to develop AI-enhanced curricula that improve training effectiveness, decision-making, and operational readiness in military medical contexts. Themes include the ethical use of AI, enhancing practitioner skills through AI simulation, and preparing military medical personnel to work alongside AI-driven tools in battlefield and clinical environments. The study advocates for ongoing research into training methodologies ensuring safe and responsible AI integration within military medicine. (source)
Innovating Defense: Generative AI’s Role in Military Evolution (US Army Article)
This article outlines the U.S. Army’s initiatives to incorporate generative AI technologies to streamline warfighting, logistics, health, and readiness functions. Generative AI assists in reducing cognitive load for commanders and support staff by synthesizing vast datasets into actionable insights, thereby improving decision-making speed and accuracy. The piece discusses the integration of AI across training, mission planning, and sustainment domains, emphasizing responsible use governed by ethical principles. It highlights ongoing pilot programs and partnerships with commercial tech firms to accelerate AI adoption in defense while managing risks. (source)
Embracing the Inevitable: AI in Modern Warfare (Small Wars Journal)
This commentary explores the inevitability of AI adoption in modern warfare and advocates proactive military adaptation rather than resistance. It highlights AI’s growing role in decision support, autonomous systems, and operational tempo acceleration. The article encourages military leaders to embrace AI’s benefits while addressing challenges like ethical use, transparency, and the risk of escalation. It stresses the importance of training, doctrine development, and policy updates to integrate AI responsibly within armed forces and maintain strategic advantage. (source)
Participation in NATO Defense College Panel on Generative AI and Military Education
This report summarizes a panel discussion at the NATO Defense College focusing on the transformative impact of generative AI in military education. Panelists emphasized challenges like ensuring ethical AI use, addressing cognitive automation risks, and fostering resilience against misinformation. The session fostered exchange among military educators, technologists, and policymakers to develop best practices and promote international collaboration in AI-enhanced military training environments. (source)
Empowering Professional Military Education (PME) with AI (Public Services Alliance)
This article highlights initiatives to empower PME through AI integration, focusing on access to AI tools, curriculum innovation, and faculty training. It stresses the importance of equipping military institutions with AI capabilities for personalized learning and strategic thinking. The piece advocates for collaborative frameworks involving academia, military, and industry to ensure relevant, practical AI applications that enhance PME effectiveness and responsiveness to future conflict scenarios. (source)
From Substitution to Augmentation: Rethinking AI in Warfare (Internet Governance Forum)
This analysis calls for a paradigm shift from viewing AI merely as a substitute for human decision-making towards understanding it as an augmentation tool to amplify human judgment in warfare. It discusses the ethical, strategic, and operational implications of AI-human teaming, emphasizing transparency, accountability, and alignment with international law. The article advocates comprehensive governance frameworks supporting AI’s responsible use to ensure warfare remains under meaningful human control. (source)
Towards Trustworthy AI for Defense: Technical and Policy White Paper (European Defence Agency)
This white paper by the European Defence Agency provides a detailed roadmap to develop trustworthy AI for defense applications. It outlines technical requirements—such as robustness, explainability, and security—and policy recommendations for ensuring compliance with ethical standards and legal frameworks. The paper stresses the importance of transparency, human oversight, and continuous validation in AI lifecycle management to build and maintain trust among military personnel, policymakers, and the public. It also highlights collaboration opportunities across EU member states to harmonize AI defense capabilities. (source)
