Ukraine used fully autonomous drones to kill Russian soldiers in battlefield test

Fully autonomous drones killed Russian soldiers during a battlefield test two years ago, according to Alexander Kokhanovskyy, CEO of the Ukrainian drone maker Aero Center. The one-time test involved quadcopter drones that were preprogrammed to fly to a front-line area before activating an AI-powered 'Terminator mode' that would seek out and attack any target in the given area. There was apparently no video feed or anything else to show what the 'Terminator' drones targeted and attacked.

Kokhanovskyy told New Scientist that human-piloted drones sent to check out the aftermath found 'a couple' of dead Russian soldiers, which led to the conclusion that the fully autonomous drones had killed them. Kokhanovskyy revealed the test during an interview with New Scientist at a press event hosted by the Ukrainian embassy in London. Why this matters: The reported use of fully autonomous drones to kill human targets on the battlefield raises significant concerns about the development and deployment of AI-guided weaponry.

If confirmed, this incident would mark another milestone in the rapidly evolving use of military drones, robots, and AI in conflict zones. The implications of such technology are far-reaching, and developers, businesses, and consumers must consider the potential risks and consequences of creating and deploying autonomous systems that can make life-or-death decisions without human intervention. As the use of AI in warfare continues to expand, questions about accountability, transparency, and control will only grow louder, and it remains to be seen how governments, industries, and international organizations will respond to these emerging challenges.