U.S. Department of Defense contractor Allen Control Systems (ACS) has developed a based on artificial intelligence autonomous robotic weapon system called “Bullfrog,” which can target small drones using proprietary computer vision software, Futurism reports. As Wired reports, the Department of Defense tested the system at the Technology Readiness Experimentation event earlier this year, which allows contractors like ACS to showcase their prototype technologies Pentagon.
AI rifle for shooting down drones
The ability to shoot down drones is increasingly important because small, unmanned drones are becoming more and more common on the battlefield. “During the Russian invasion of Ukraine, we saw the proliferation of drones on both sides of the conflict and read on various news outlets that Ukrainians were shooting them with AK-47s in the air,” Steve Simoni, co-founder and CEO of ACS, told Wired. “We thought, ‘This is a good problem for robotics“. It’s hard to hit something flying that fast, but the robot can do it thanks to modern computer vision and AI control algorithms.”
Deadly artificial intelligence
According to Simoni, the goal was to completely eliminate humans from the equation, especially considering how fast these unmanned drones can fly. The ACS Bullfrog system is part of a much larger trend. The US military is working on a range of remotely controlled and semi-autonomous weapons systems to shoot enemy drones out of the sky. Earlier this year, for example, the U.S. military began experimenting with robotic dogs equipped with rifles at a test facility in the Middle East.
Artificial intelligence cheaper than laser weapons
The contractor claims that Bullfrog is extremely cheap to use, especially compared to much more complex and expensive laser weapon systems. Before the Bullfrog enters the battlefield, it must be approved: there are strict rules regarding the use of lethal autonomous weapons. ACS ensures that the system is technically capable of fully autonomous operation. “Our system is fully autonomous, we are just waiting for the government to determine its needs,” Brice Cooper, chief strategy officer at ACS, commented to Wired.
Ethics of using autonomous weapons
However, it is not known when, or even if, these needs will change. Many sensitive ethical issues remain regarding the use of such autonomous weapons. “Anything that uses robotics requires software to determine friend or foe, and that’s a concern for anything that’s automated,” Mike Clementi, a former congressional defense specialist, told Wired.
