Discussion on Irregular Warfare Podcast: Evolving Technologies' Impact in Shaping Modern Battlefields
In a recent episode of the Irregular Warfare Podcast, host Adam Darnley-Stuart and his co-host Ben Jebb delved into the impact of emerging technologies on future warfare. The discussion, which featured retired Australian Army Major General Mick Ryan, author of the book "War Transformed," focused on the effects of artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced cyber capabilities on militaries' mass combat power.
Mick Ryan, who has commanded soldiers at various levels, including platoon, regiment, task force, and brigade, highlighted the predicted effects of AI and advanced cyber capabilities on large-scale operations. AI is expected to revolutionise decision-making speed and quality, improving intelligence integration, and automating complex tasks. By fusing massive data from various sources and recommending optimal actions, AI-assisted systems could allow military units to make thousands of high-quality decisions in an hour, a tempo impossible without automation.
AI-driven cyber capabilities will also play a crucial role, automating reconnaissance, penetration, malware deployment, and enabling sophisticated AI-generated deception attacks such as phishing and deepfakes. This transformation of the cyber battlespace into a highly dynamic environment necessitates securing AI-enabled command and control (C2) systems, as demonstrated by regional military efforts in the Indo-Pacific to develop resilient and interoperable cyber defenses integrated into kinetic exercises.
Moreover, AI is reshaping military data management and weaponization strategies, focusing on rapid adaptation and accelerating the operational deployment of AI systems in response to fast-evolving threats. This includes automating processes that historically slowed the integration of new intelligence into tactics and increasing workforce AI literacy to keep pace with the speed of modern warfare.
However, the integration of AI and advanced cyber capabilities comes with ethical and operational challenges. While AI offers unprecedented speed and analytical power, the complexity and adaptive nature of autonomous systems present difficulties in ensuring compliance with international humanitarian law and maintaining human accountability for lethal decisions. In sensitive areas like nuclear command and control, concerns remain about AI’s inability to replicate nuanced human judgment and the risks posed by AI errors, biases, or unpredictable behavior, which could lead to catastrophic escalation if AI misinterprets data or recommendations.
In the podcast, Lieutenant General Xavier T. Brunson, the commanding general of the US Army's I Corps, discussed what leaders must do to prepare forces for future, large-scale combat operations. He has led US soldiers in multiple theaters around the globe. The image used in the article is credited to Steven Stover, US Army.
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AI is predicted to significantly improve intelligence integration and automate complex tasks in large-scale operations, revolutionizing decision-making speed and quality.
AI-driven cyber capabilities will automate reconnaissance, penetration, and deception attacks, transforming the cyber battlespace into a highly dynamic environment.
