Ukraine wants to make drone videos available to allies for AI training
Drones have become a central weapon in the Ukraine war, and they are now also controlled by AI. The collected data is to be used to train AI.
(Image: Dmytro Sheremeta/Shutterstock.com)
Ukraine wants to enable allied states to train AI models with the immense amounts of data collected, among other things, by Ukrainian drones in the course of the defense war. The news agency Reuters reports, citing statements by the new Ukrainian Minister of Defense, Mykhailo Fedorov. He has been in office since last week and was previously Minister of Digital Transformation. Ukraine reportedly has millions of hours of video material, which shows the front from the perspective of drones, among other things, and is therefore considered an extremely valuable resource against the backdrop of the increasing use of AI in warfare.
Cooperation with Palantir
“If you want to train AI, give it two million hours of video material and it will become supernatural,” Reuters quoted the founder of a Ukrainian organization as saying just a few weeks ago, which collects and analyzes the five to six terabytes of data from drones that accumulate daily. This valuable AI training is now to be made possible for allies, Fedorov explained. In its implementation, his country wants to cooperate according to the Financial Times with the controversial US company Palantir. This is intended to help set up a data center where the AI models are to be trained. They are supposed to learn about combat tactics and target recognition.
Fedorov also announced to Reuters that an alternative to the widespread drones from Chinese manufacturer DJI is to be tested this month. These are used by both Ukrainian and Russian troops to reconnoiter the front from the air. The minister did not say who is supposed to manufacture such devices in Ukraine now. His government has previously pointed out that the high dependence on DJI is a problem because China is cooperating more and more closely with Russia. According to Fedorov, the drone from its production is supposed to have just as good a camera but a longer flight range.
Videos by heise
Since Russia attempted to conquer all of Ukraine at the beginning of 2022 and was repelled, drones have played an increasingly central role in the defense campaign. Ukraine achieved considerable successes with the new weapon technology, especially at the beginning, after which Russia also intensified its use. Along the front lines, drones were initially used effectively to inflict heavy losses on the Russian military. Later, Ukraine also carried out successful attacks on the Russian Black Sea Fleet in the Black Sea. Russia, in turn, relies, among other things, on kamikaze drones manufactured in Iran. The announcement regarding AI training now indicates that the automation of the devices has progressed enormously recently.
(mho)
