Rajnath Singh calls for tapping AI potential in defence sector

An Artificial Intelligence exhibition was organised which provided an opportunity for innovators to display their capabilities, products and state-of-the-art technologies

Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Monday launched 75 artificial intelligence products at a symposium on ‘AI in Defence,’ with the products covering areas such as robotics, surveillance and reconnaissance, cyber security, human behavioural analysis, simulators and lethal autonomous weapon systems, even as he called for tapping the potential of AI in the defence sector, the defence ministry said in a statement.

The products were launched as part of ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ celebrations. (Rajnath Singh | Twitter)

“When there has been full human participation in wars, new autonomous weapons/systems have been developed with the help of AI applications. They can destroy enemy establishments without human control. AI-enabled military devices are capable of handling large amounts of data efficiently,” the minister said.

He said it was also helpful in training soldiers.

The products were launched as part of ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ celebrations to mark 75 years of the country’s independence.

The ministry said three AI products developed by defence public sector undertakings have dual use applications, including AI-enabled voice transcription/analysis software developed by Bharat Electronics Limited and driver fatigue monitoring system developed by Bharat Earth Movers Limited.

In his address, the minister described AI as a revolutionary step in the development of humanity, and pointed out that AI has made inroads in almost every sector including defence, health and medicine, agriculture, trade and commerce, and transport. He asked the defence stakeholders “to enhance the jointness of human consciousness and the ability of AI to bring a radical change in the sector.”

“We have started incorporation of AI applications in remote piloted, unmanned aerial vehicles, among others. There is a need to move further in this direction so that we can develop autonomous weapon systems. Timely infusion of technologies like AI and big data in the defence sector is of utmost importance, so that we are not left behind the technological curve and are able to take maximum advantage of technology for our services.”

Singh released the physical as well as e-version of a book comprising the details of the 75 products, showcasing the collective efforts of the services, Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO), DPSUs, start-ups and the private industry in the last four years.