By the end of the 2020s, fully autonomous weapons will be a reality, if not the norm in battlefields. The Replicator Initiative will see to that.
The U.S. military has utilized artificial intelligence (AI) for various purposes, such as operating small surveillance drones in special operations and supporting Ukraine in its conflict with Russia. AI is employed for tasks like monitoring soldiers’ fitness, predicting maintenance needs for Air Force planes, and surveilling adversaries in space. The Pentagon is now determined to deploy thousands of cost-effective, expendable AI-enabled autonomous vehicles by 2026, aiming to match China’s advancements. This initiative, named Replicator, aims to accelerate the shift in U.S. military innovation towards smaller, intelligent, affordable platforms. Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks, in August, emphasized the need to hasten progress in adopting such technologies.
Although Replicator’s funding remains uncertain and details are not fully disclosed, it is anticipated to prompt crucial decisions on mature and reliable AI technologies for deployment, including in weaponized systems. There is a consensus among scientists, industry experts, and Pentagon officials that the U.S. will soon possess fully autonomous lethal weapons. Despite assurances that humans will maintain control, experts suggest that advancements in data processing and machine-to-machine communication may eventually relegate humans to supervisory roles.
