Data analytics, autonomous systems are key AI focuses at DSEI 2023
NewsSeptember 14, 2023
LONDON, England. Artificial intelligence was unsurprisingly a hot topic of conversation at this year's Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) event, but specifically the areas of data analytics and autonomous systems appeared to show the heaviest promise of AI usage for global militaries.
During a keynote address, Royal Navy First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Ben Key emphasized the UK navy's commitment to becoming an "AI-ready organization," aiming to integrate AI and autonomous technologies into its operations. Key noted the recent deployment of a crewless submersible and an uncrewed, autopiloted fixed-wing aircraft, stating that AI is likely to "reimagine our approach to warfare, creating dynamic new benchmarks for accuracy, efficiency, and lethality."
The Royal Navy and tech firms alike underscored the critical role of AI in enhancing data analytics. Key stressed that effective warfare now requires the ability to collect, analyze, and fuse multi-dimensional data to generate a comprehensive understanding of the battlespace in real-time. On the defense industry side, Hensoldt unveiled its "Ceretron" sensor suite, designed to consolidate various types of sensor data streams and process them through AI to form a unified operational picture.
One Stop Systems, Inc. (OSS) showcased its range of AI computing solutions, aimed to serve in transportable defense systems across land, air, and sea. The company displayed custom edge servers, compute accelerators, and flash storage arrays specifically designed to improve situational awareness in complex scenarios. Similarly, Hensoldt's "Ceretron" uses decentralized artificial intelligence to offer improved decision-making capabilities to vehicle crews and battle groups.
Chess Dynamics launched its Deep Embedded Feature Tracking (DEFT), a real-time video tracking technology employing deep learning methodologies. The system is geared to improve tracking accuracy in complex surveillance scenarios, particularly for dynamic entities like drones or vehicles.
The recurring themes at DSEI 2023 clearly indicated an accelerating trend toward the integration of AI in various facets of defense and military operations, but data and drones appear to be the areas most likely to dominate when it comes to AI usage in the coming years.
