The 3 AI startups revolutionising the defence sector
This article explores three AI startups that are helping redefine the defence and security sector
The birth of artificial intelligence arguably took place during the Second World War when the Allies constructed the then-revolutionary decipherment machines that were designed to crack the Nazis’ Enigma code. These rudimentary computers were based on the theoretical foundations laid by Alan Turing, himself an integral part of the Allied code-breaking efforts at Bletchley Park. Indeed, throughout history, military and defence organisations have leveraged intelligence and technology to their strategic advantage, as the Allies did with Turing and his ground-breaking insights into the theory of computation.
This radical technological development usually filters back into wider society. The armed forces have long had a reputation for turning their R&D into successful industries in the civilian world — many technologies we use today have emerged from military laboratories: GPS, for example, was developed during navy experiments in the 1960s, while the US Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) — created after the unexpected Soviet launch of Sputnik — has been a factory of innovation and an accelerator for progress in applied sciences.
And yet, this military resourcefulness seems to have dried up — at least in the UK. The Ministry of Defence’s annual expenditure for R&D is around £1.3 billion, far less than what many private companies are willing to spend. This can be explained by a shortage of funding: the MoD is unwilling to bear the costs and risks of developing new equipment. New projects are expensive and often take a long time to get off the ground. The Royal Navy’s plan to build two new aircraft carriers, for example, has been a protracted affair, and one which has seen costs (over £6.4 billion) ballooning out of control.
In response to these shortcomings, small private companies from the UK’s world-leading defence industry are now beginning to supply the innovative research so desperately needed by the army. A new generation of venture-backed tech start-ups believe that they can revolutionise traditional defence procurement — long thought to be obsolete — by bringing advanced civilian technologies into the defence and security sector. The adoption of this cutting-edge research will drive modernisation and transform military facilities using home-grown technology.
The government’s recent increase in defence spending is likely to accelerate this boom in military tech companies. Last month, Britain approved the largest rise to the defence budget since the Cold War, pledging an additional £16.5 billion for defence over the next four years. The prime minister said the extra cash would go towards the creation of a new space command and artificial intelligence agency. This is good news for AI startups which are expected to contribute to these nascent areas of military capability.
Indeed, the long-term strategic value of AI has been continuously reiterated by the intelligence and defence communities in the UK; they believe that technological superiority in emerging arenas of conflict is a necessity for this country. The four-star generals and chiefs of staff see artificial intelligence as having a multi-faceted applicability across theatres of war, whether that be on land, sea, or air.
In the future, they argue, AI could identify enemy submarines from complex sonar data. It could run automated computer-network defences that detect cyber-attacks and then patch up vulnerabilities ad hoc. It could use machine learning algorithms to filter through hours of video footage and then isolate suspected terrorists and insurgents. It could shoot down drones, aim tank guns, plan artillery barrages, and piece together difference sensor feeds into a more complete picture.
Some of these innovations are already in development.
