UK companies to use Ukrainian battlefield data to train AI-powered drone swarms

British companies will be allowed to use battlefield data from Ukraine to develop new artificial intelligence models for drone swarms.

Source: Reuters citing the UK government

Details: An agreement between UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy provides access to a database of images and videos collected by drones in Ukraine. It includes more than 6 million instances of objects being detected, including tanks, artillery, air defence systems, infantry and aerial assets.

Drone swarms can fly, sail or move autonomously, using artificial intelligence to work together, identify threats and targets and make decisions, the UK government said. It added that a human remains involved in such operations.

"This world-first ​access to real battlefield data will allow British companies to ‌continue ⁠pushing the frontier of defence innovation, deterring our enemies and making us safer at home as well as further strengthening Ukraine," UK Defence Secretary Wes Streeting ​said in a ​statement.

Access to the database will be granted to no more than 12 British companies. Applicants will be required to submit proposals demonstrating how their work would meet both Ukrainian and British defence requirements.

The UK government expects proposals to include AI-based autonomous target recognition and distributed decision-making systems that would allow drone routes, priorities and behaviour to adapt without relying on a single command centre.

Background: Technology giant OpenAI will provide the Ukrainian government with free access to its AI-powered cybersecurity system Daybreak to help protect civilian infrastructure such as hospitals and power plants from cyberattacks.

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