A revolution in warfare is quietly unfolding amid the Russo-Ukranian conflict. The founders of Vyriy, a Ukrainian drone company, are pushing the boundaries of autonomous technology to develop weapons that could redefine modern combat. Oleksii Babenko, Vyriy’s 25-year-old chief executive, recently demonstrated this future by racing his motorcycle down a dirt path while a drone, guided solely by software, tracked his every move.
“If the drone had been armed, I would have been a goner,” Babenko admitted. The technology, driven by the urgency of the ongoing war waged by Putin, marks a significant leap forward in the weaponization of consumer technology.
Ukraine’s need to innovate quickly in response to the Russian threat has transformed the nation into a hub for autonomous drones and other advanced weaponry. These innovations are not just about gaining an edge but are also about survival, particularly for an outnumbered defending force. “We need maximum automation,” said Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine’s minister of digital transformation. “These technologies are fundamental to our victory.”
The advancements are built on deep learning, a form of artificial intelligence that processes vast amounts of data to make real-time decisions. This technology, which powers popular language models like OpenAI’s GPT-4, now enables drones to autonomously track and target enemies. Such capabilities have already seen action, with Ukrainian officials confirming that autonomous drones have hit Russian targets.
The development of these autonomous systems has led to ethical and legal debates worldwide. Human rights groups and UN officials warn that these technologies could trigger a new global arms race. “There will be weapons of mass destruction that are cheap, scalable, and easily available,” cautioned Stuart Russell, an AI scientist at the University of California, Berkeley.
Despite these concerns, Ukraine’s focus remains on immediate defense needs. The drive for innovation has led to collaborations between soldiers and engineers, resulting in makeshift factories and labs across the country. These facilities produce everything from long-range aircraft and attack boats to inexpensive kamikaze drones.
Companies like Saker have repurposed AI originally designed for fruit sorting to develop autonomous targeting systems. “You just have to be precise with what you’re going to hit,” said Saker’s CEO, Viktor. The company is now mass-producing thousands of these systems monthly, providing a critical tool for Ukrainian forces on the front lines.
For many in Ukraine, the ethical debates surrounding autonomous weapons are secondary to the pressing need to defend their country. As Fedorov succinctly put it, “We need to win first.”
