This is one of the most fruitful partnerships in recent years: military technology and drones constantly advance each other and feed each other. If we add to this the arrival of artificial intelligence, the menu is more than appetizing. In its most recent budget request (a 252-page document), the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA, requests increased spending for a set of key AI projects focused on human-machine teamsuse of AI and drones.
Perhaps the most important AI program DARPA is looking to fund is Rapid Experimental Mission Autonomy, or REMA, which aims to “improve commercially available and stocked military drones with a subsystem to allow autonomous operation”. In other words, give remotely piloted drones purchased anywhere new decision-making powers.
To this end, DARPA has requested $13.8 million in order to “continue developing software, integrate with other participantstest, refine and retest the REMA solution”, through multiple development cycles.
REMA is joined by another program, called Standards and Ideals of Autonomy with Military Operational Values, or ASIMOV, which has the goal of evaluate the extent to which autonomous weapons of the Department of Defense adhere to the department's ethical and safety principles.
A big theme among all the AI programs getting first or increased funding this year is the idea of human-computer interaction, or “symbiosis,” as DARPA calls it. For example, a new program called Access in AI and Human-Machine Symbiosis will seek to make chatbots are “capable of engaging in realistic and positive dialogue” and “initiate designs to propose legal solutions or actions to deter adversaries.”
Another new program will analyze large language models similar to ChatGPT to better understand what how well they do abstract reasoning and “initiate the development of techniques to enable transparent and logical communications between humans and AI models.”
DARPA also wants to build on its success with AI pilots and is requesting nearly $41 million (almost double the amount requested last year) for a program called Air Intelligence Reinforcements, or AIR. With this he seeks “automate tactical control tasks by transforming pilots juniors from low-level tacticians into high-level mission commanders. For unmanned platforms, AIR will allow vehicles to perform missions with minimal human supervision.”
DARPA's previous funding in AI led to advances that were moved to the commercial world, like SIRI. Therefore, military advances in newer AI technologies could shape the field for decades to come.