site.btaDrones and AI Dominate Defence - Experts

Discussing the use of new means and technologies in defence, experts rallied around the idea that drones and artificial intelligence dominate during military operations, and beyond. Representatives from different fields gathered at an international seminar on the topic: “Transformational Triggers for the Next Generation of Global Security: Industrial‑Scientific Symbiotic Perspectives in the Age of Artificial Intelligence,” which took place at the Central Military Club in Sofia on Wednesday.

“Drones are a technology that is entering every part of our daily lives — in agriculture, in medicine and in other areas. They can serve both as a tool for cyber espionage and for spreading malicious software, and they can violate people’s privacy and cause major damage. The drone is the new means of waging war,” said Stayko Topalov, chairman of the International Drone Defense Association.

He explained that the Association’s mission is to set safety standards. “We cannot and it is not normal for systems that disrupt the communications of other friendly systems to be used in non‑military operations,” he added. “Drones aren’t only flying machines. There are also ground systems that are used for attack,” he said. The expert noted that interceptors are systems that detect and seize drones and intruders, destroying them “autonomously or under operator control.”

Topalov announced that starting this academic year, in collaboration with colleagues from the Technical University, a master’s program has been established focusing on drones and anti-drone systems.

“Autonomous artificial intelligence will begin to dominate,” said Associate Professor Zlatogor Minchev, a computer science representative from the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS), during the seminar. According to him, during a training exercise held a few months ago, artificial intelligence “gained the upper hand.”

“The question is where the human factor will be, and whether it will still be needed in future wars. Also, where are we heading if we don’t introduce certain regulations?” he added.