"This technology represents our coming danger," cautions Serhiy Beskrestnov, that has just obtained a newly intercepted enemy drone.
This proved to be no ordinary drone either, it was revealed. Powered by AI, this unmanned aerial vehicle can locate and strike targets autonomously.
Beskrestnov has inspected many unmanned systems in his role as the nation's military advisor.
In contrast to previous versions, the drone didn't send or receive communications, so could not disrupted.
Both sides' forces have both been testing AI in this war, and in some areas they are already deploying it, to assist in target identification, intelligence collection and de-mining.
For the Ukrainian army, AI has become essential.
"Our armed forces gets over 50,000 video streams [from the front line] monthly which are processed by AI," says the defense official.
"This helps us quickly process huge volumes of information, identify targets and mark them on a digital chart."
AI-Empowered Tech as a Strategic Tool
AI-empowered tech is seen as a instrument that can enhance military strategy, optimize resources and in the end protect personnel.
However when it comes to autonomous armaments, it's revolutionizing the warzone.
Ukrainian soldiers already use AI-based software so that unmanned aircraft fix on a target and subsequently fly autonomously for the last few hundred metres until the mission is over.
Signal disruption is impossible and destroying such tiny airborne device is not easy.
Ultimately these systems will likely become fully autonomous armaments that can detect and destroy targets by themselves.
An operator must do is press a icon on a smartphone app, explains Yaroslav Azhnyuk, head of a local developer.
The drone handles the rest, according to him, locating the objective, dropping explosives, evaluating the impact and then coming back to base.
"It doesn't demand piloting skills from the user," he continues.
Interceptor Systems and Upcoming Developments
Interceptor unmanned craft with such autonomous capability might significantly strengthen defensive systems against enemy long-range attack drones, like the notorious Shaheds.
"An AI-driven autonomous system is better than a human in numerous aspects," says Azhnyuk. "It is more perceptive. It can see the target sooner than a person. It is quicker."
The official indicates that kind of technology does not exist yet, but he suggests Ukraine is nearing completing its creation. "They've partly implemented it in some devices," says the representative.
It's possible there will be many thousands of these technologies in place by the year 2026, claims Azhnyuk.
Cautions and Risks of Total Independence
However Ukrainian creators are cautious about fully making use of defence systems that depend solely on AI, with no human involvement. The danger is AI might not distinguish a Ukrainian soldier from a Russian one, as they may be using the same uniform, notes an engineer, who asked to remain anonymous.
His company produces remotely controlled machine guns, that employ artificial intelligence to autonomously identify people and track them. Because of concerns over accidental attacks, he says they avoid including an automatic shooting option.
"It can be activated, but we must gain further expertise and more feedback from the military units in order to determine when it is safe to employ this capability."
Moral Concerns and Global Rules
Additionally, there are fears that automated systems will violate the laws of armed conflict. How will they avoid injuring civilians, or distinguish soldiers who wish to yield?
For the deputy defence minister, the final decision in these cases should rest with a person, although AI could make it "simpler to choose". Yet it's not certain that states or militant factions will adhere to international humanitarian norms.
So neutralizing these systems is even more critical.
How can one halt a "swarm of drones" when electronic warfare or employing aircraft, armored vehicles or missiles is rendered ineffective?
The nation's very effective "Spider Web" operation, when 100 unmanned aircraft attacked enemy military airports in June, was probably supported by artificial intelligence.
Many in Ukraine fear that Moscow will copy that tactic, not just on the battlefront but beyond it as well.
Ukraine's president warned the United Nations last month that AI was contributing to "the worst weapons competition in history."
He called for global rules for the application of AI in armaments, and stated the matter was "just as urgent as stopping the proliferation of atomic arms."
