Contributions to Security and Defence Studies The Very Long Game

This open access book is the outcome of a unique multinational effort organized by the Hamburg-based Defense AI Observatory (DAIO) to portray the current state of affairs regarding the use of artificial intelligence (AI) by armed forces around the world. The Very Long Game, the first open access comparative study on the current state of defense AI, provides a succinct overview across 25 nations, analyzing six fundamental lines of effort: thinking, developing, organizing, funding, deploying, and training. Written by expert analysts and practitioners, The Very Long Game compellingly blends theoretical with practical insight and sets the standard for comparative defense AI analyses. Military leaders, industry experts, and scholars will greatly benefit from reading this book. Gen (ret) John Allen Former Commander of the NATO International Security Assistance Force and US Forces in Afghanistan, past President of The Brookings Institution, and Strategic Advisor to the Microsoft Corporation A most timely comparative study, rich in empirical analysis, that examines the “drivers, pace and priorities” of defense AI. This volume is a vital resource for anyone interested in military innovation and defense transformation. Prof. Theo Farrell, PhD President and Vice-Chancellor, La Trobe University The Very Long Game is an absolute must-have for everyone interested in defense AI! One of the book’s key strengths is the unitary analytical framework, which makes the detailed case studies easily accessible and provides insightful findings on cross-regional commonalities and differences. Joonsoo Park Director, Defense Acquisition and Industries Division, Korea Institute for Defense Analyses The Very Long Game is a must read for policy makers, practitioners as well as academia, who are interested in technologies and future warfare. Dr. Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan Director, Center for Security, Strategy and Technology, Observer Research Foundation This book provides the reader with a much-needed overview of what different military organizations around the world actually do to implement AI in the conduct of their daily operations. Prof. Dr. Olivier Schmitt Center for War Studies, University of Southern Denmark Heiko Borchert is Co-Director, Torben Schütz and Joseph Verbovzsky are Research Fellows at the Defense AI Observatory, Helmut Schmidt University, Hamburg. This open access book is the outcome of a unique multinational effort organized by the Hamburg-based Defense AI Observatory (DAIO) to portray the current state of affairs regarding the use of artificial intelligence (AI) by armed forces around the world. The contributions span a diverse range of geostrategic contexts by providing in-depth case studies on Australia, Canada, China, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, India, Iran, Israel, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Turkey, Ukraine, the UK, and the United States. The book does not speculate about the future implications of AI on armed forces, but rather discusses how armed forces are currently exploring the potential of this emerging technology. By adopting a uniform analytical framework, each case study discusses how armed forces view defense AI; how they are developing AI-enhanced solutions, adapting existing structures and processes, and funding their defense AI endeavors; to what extent defense AI is already fielded and operated; and how soldiers and officers are being trained to work with AI.