MoD study on AI-powered weapons highlights gap between India’s aspirations and capabilities

A pilot study on Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems commissioned by the Defence Ministry highlights the transformative potential of these technologies while raising important questions about control, accountability, and ethical deployment, according to a senior Ministry official. Opinion | India’s journey so far on the AI military bandwagon India is alert to the opportunities and challenges from this fast-evolving technology scenario and its ubiquitous nature, said Tanmaya Lal, Secretary West in the Ministry of External Affairs. Integrating AI into defence “For India’s defence establishment, developing AI capabilities is critical for three key reasons: to maintain strategic autonomy in an era where technological superiority dictates military advantage; to play a meaningful role in shaping the international regulatory framework; and finally to prepare our forces for future conflicts involving such systems,” said Samir Kumar Sinha, an Additional Secretary in the Defence Ministry and the Director-General for Acquisition. The study is meant to address these priorities, he said, addressing a seminar at MPIDSA on ‘India’s approaches to AI in military domain and emerging tech in LAWS’, which was jointly organised by the Defence Ministry and the MEA from January 28 to 30. Mr. Lal said India has participated in summits on responsible AI in the military domain, but has not endorsed their outcome documents nor the political declaration proposed by the U.S., as it believes that the UN processes should take primacy.