Modern robotic systems are capable of detecting enemy soldiers, evacuating the wounded, or independently destroying targets. This is a reality that is already being used in wars.
But despite the rapid development of unmanned technologies, they cannot fully replace the human on the battlefield. Operators remain the key link in the management of drones, communication, and systems of remote destruction on the front.
According to the co-founder of BlueBird Tech Valeriy Zarubin, Ukraine has become one of the main centers of the creation of the newest military technologies. However, all of them so far cannot work completely autonomously.
And although the so-called “kill zone” on the front is gradually expanding, this does not mean that operators can work far from the line of contact.
“A large quantity of the newest assets was born in this war. But almost all such systems must be controlled by a human. If you look at the theater of combat operations, then on the line of contact, in trenches and dugouts, sit operators who control drones, logistics, strikes, and communication. Even if the kill zone is 100 kilometers, operators will all the same have to be relatively close to the LCC”, — notes the co-founder of BlueBird Tech Valeriy Zarubin.
However, Zarubin does not rule out that the active development of technologies can lead to the automation of war in the future, where instead of people technologies will fight. A real breakthrough will happen only when fully autonomous systems appear, capable of acting without the participation of a human at all stages — from making a decision to its effective execution.
“Drones are so far not smart enough to independently hit targets. They need to be controlled. Everything all the same is tied to human resources” — emphasizes Valeriy Zarubin.
That is precisely why one of the key tasks remains the preparation of a large quantity of specialists — drone operators, engineers, and specialists in the management of modern combat systems.
In the opinion of the co-founder of BlueBird Tech, the appearance of fully autonomous weapons can become a turning point in world military history.
“When systems appear that can hit the enemy or repel attacks without the participation of a human, this can be compared to the invention of nuclear weapons” — adds the co-founder of BlueBird Tech.
Countries that are the first to obtain such technologies can gain a significant military advantage, but the question “When can this happen?” — remains open. There is also a risk that autonomous systems controlled by AI will begin a war with one another — already without the participation of people.
