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"This innovation represents our future threat," warns Serhiy Beskrestnov, that has just acquired a newly intercepted Russian drone.

This proved to be no ordinary drone as well, he discovered. Assisted by AI, the unmanned aerial vehicle can find and strike targets on its own.

The consultant has examined numerous drones in his capacity as Ukrainian defence forces consultant.

Unlike other models, it did not transmit or accept any signals, so could not be jammed.

Russian and Ukrainian militaries are testing AI in the conflict, and in some areas they are already deploying it, for target identification, gathering intelligence and de-mining.

For the Ukrainian army, AI has become essential.

"The armed forces receives over 50,000 footage feeds [from the battlefield] monthly that get analysed by AI," says Ukraine's deputy defence minister.

"It enables us rapidly handle this massive data, identify targets and place them on a digital chart."

AI-Driven Technology as a Strategic Tool

AI-empowered technology is regarded as a instrument that improves strategic planning, optimize resources and in the end save lives.

However regarding autonomous armaments, it's revolutionizing the warzone.

Ukrainian troops already use AI-based software so that drones fix on a objective and then operate independently for the last few hundred metres till the operation concludes.

Jamming cannot be done and destroying such a small flying object is not easy.

Ultimately these systems will likely become fully autonomous weapons that are able to find and destroy objectives by themselves.

All a soldier must do is tap a button on a smartphone app, notes a tech executive, chief executive of a local tech company.

It handles everything else, he says, locating the objective, releasing munitions, assessing the damage and afterwards coming back to base.

"And it would not even require flight experience from the soldier," he adds.

Defensive Drones and Upcoming Advancements

Defensive drones with such automation could greatly strengthen defensive systems against Russian remote strike aircraft, such as the notorious Shaheds.

"An AI-driven self-operating unit can be superior to a human in so many ways," explains Azhnyuk. "It is more perceptive. It detects the objective sooner than a person. It is quicker."

The official says such a technology does not exist yet, but he suggests the country is close to completing its creation. "They've partially integrated it in certain equipment," states the deputy defence minister.

It's possible there will be many thousands of such systems deployed by the year 2026, predicts Azhnyuk.

Concerns and Risks of Full Independence

However Local creators are cautious about fully making use of military technologies that rely entirely on AI, with no operator input. The risk is AI might not distinguish a Ukrainian fighter from a Russian combatant, as they may be using the identical attire, says an engineer, who declined to give his surname.

The firm produces remotely controlled automatic weapons, that use AI to autonomously identify individuals and follow them. Due to worries about accidental attacks, he states they don't have an automatic shooting option.

"We can enable it, but we need to gain further expertise and more feedback from the ground forces to determine when it is safe to employ this capability."

Moral Concerns and International Rules

Additionally, there are fears that AI-driven technologies will violate the laws of armed conflict. How can they avoid harming non-combatants, or distinguish soldiers who want to surrender?

According to the official, the ultimate choice in such circumstances must be made by a human, although AI could make it "easier to decide". But it's not certain that nations or militant factions will follow international humanitarian norms.

Therefore neutralizing such technologies becomes even more important.

How can one halt a "swarm of drones" when jamming or employing jets, armored vehicles or missiles proves useless?

Ukraine's highly successful "Spider Web" operation, when 100 unmanned aircraft targeted enemy air bases last June, is believed to be supported by artificial intelligence.

Numerous locals worry that the adversary will copy that tactic, not only on the battlefront but further afield as well.

The country's president cautioned the United Nations last month that AI was fueling "the most destructive weapons competition in history."

He called for international regulations for the use of AI in armaments, and said the matter was "equally pressing as preventing the proliferation of atomic arms."