Russia is increasingly turning to artificial intelligence (AI) to address deficiencies in its battlefield capabilities and capabilities exposed by its invasion of Ukraine, experts say.
“Russian futurists, Russian technologists, Russian developers are envisioning this slow evolution from more human involvement to as little human involvement as possible,” said Samuel Bendett, the An adjunct senior fellow at the Center for New American Security (CNAS) in the Technology and National Security Program told Fox Digital News.
“Some of these statements were made before Russia’s disastrous invasion of Ukraine and Russia’s conduct in this manpower-intensive war… but this is something that the Russian military has been paying attention to,” he said.
Bendit pointed out in the CNAS paper that Russia’s enthusiasm for adopting artificial intelligence may lead to the country taking greater risks in catching up with the West. He relied on public statements, announcements and analysis in Russian-language media for his paper, which looks at major developments in robotics and artificial intelligence and Russia’s quest to create a “smarter” military with semi-automated decision-making.
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“These sources provide a glimpse into Russian deliberations and debates about the role and utility of artificial intelligence on the modern battlefield and help analysts understand what the Russians are emphasizing in AI research and development,” Bennett wrote. ”
Western officials may be most concerned about the intended use of Russian artificial intelligence — the integration of artificial intelligence systems with its nuclear command, which Bentet considers Russia’s top goal.
On May 9, 2023, Russian President Vladimir Putin delivered a speech at the Victory Day military parade in Moscow’s Red Square to celebrate the victory over Nazi Germany. (Gavriel Grigorov/Sputnik/AFP via Getty Images)
While Russia’s main near-term goal is to use AI for data collection, analysis and “situational awareness,” the military ultimately seeks to incorporate AI into decision-making, including when and how to deploy nuclear weapons.
“DoD and government officials have repeatedly stated that artificial intelligence is a data analysis and decision-making tool,” Bendett said. “So the nuclear force will be part of a larger effort to combine some of the more advanced technologies with the analysis and understanding that human operators do.”
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Bendett expanded on this point in his paper, saying that artificial intelligence will allegedly help Russian officials “in situations where the political leadership is incapacitated and can no longer make key decisions.” Known as Perimeter, the system is a Cold War-era automated nuclear weapons control system that was integrated into the country’s Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD) doctrine, but the system is still in effect today, Bendt noted, indicating Russia’s thinking .
“The continued existence of this system today means that people prefer semi-automated systems to fully automated systems to deal with the challenges of intense pressure, the pressure of being aware of the unfolding scenario in real time, and the possible lack of relevant information and emotions that affect human decision-makers Under pressure,” Bennett wrote.
Russian President Vladimir Putin delivered a speech in Moscow to commemorate the 79th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. (Tian Bing/China News Service/VCG via Getty Images)
He added: “By removing the pressure on Russian leaders to decide whether to launch a nuclear attack at short notice, Perimeter aims to reduce the risk of miscalculation on both sides and avoid making poor decisions with huge consequences.”
One of the main concerns he raised was that while Russia’s views on artificial intelligence are in line with those of other major powers, it may lack the capabilities to adopt these systems, especially given Western sanctions and export controls.
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In the paper, Bendett lists some factors that may hinder Russia’s development and adoption of artificial intelligence technology, namely the exodus of technical personnel at the beginning of the Ukrainian invasion, the inability to obtain parts and data, and the affected economy: Russia in the Artificial Intelligence Ambitions the main obstacles faced.
Bentet believes Russia’s rush to keep up with the West may prompt officials to rely on Moscow’s increasingly close ally China to fill development gaps.
In this group photo released by Russian state news agency Sputnik, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping hold an informal meeting in Beijing on May 16, 2024. (Mikhail Kostian Liberov/Libkos/Getty Images)
“One of the things that we’ve found since the sanctions started in March 2022 is that Russia can evade a lot of the sanctions and actually get what it needs through willing partners or partners that don’t know about certain transactions,” ” Bennett explained in an interview with Fox News Digital.
“Of course, this involves microelectronics, it involves certain hardware and software solutions: as long as Russia maintains open trade and relations with countries like China, India, and many other countries around the world, it may have access to certain technologies and certain These concepts are necessary for the development of high technology, especially the development of artificial intelligence,” he believes.
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Rebekah Koffler, a strategic military intelligence analyst and author of “The Putin Playbook,” told Fox News Digital that artificial intelligence remains one of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “top priorities,” and every year will report on its development and implementation progress.
“Putin once said that the country that controls artificial intelligence will control the world,” Kovler said. “His concern is that if the West takes the lead in artificial intelligence, Western values and concepts will be embedded in it, rather than Russian values.”
“Putin believes that if Russia loses competition in the field of artificial intelligence, Russia will lose its sovereignty,” she added. “Putin has compared artificial intelligence to nuclear weapons, and he estimates that artificial intelligence will follow the trajectory of nuclear weapons development – once people realize how dangerous artificial intelligence can be if not managed properly, there will be attempts to control it.”
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Kovler claimed that Putin has indirectly acknowledged that the United States is a leader in the development of artificial intelligence, citing Elon Musk’s Neuralink as evidence that the billionaire will “do what he thinks must be done” to advance the technology.
Both Bentet and Kovler lamented the difficulty in fully assessing Russia’s progress in artificial intelligence due to a lack of “trustworthy intelligence” and an overreliance on Russian government statements, which Kovler warned were often “Exaggeration”.
