Russia Deploys Autonomous 'Killer' AI Drones in Ukraine, NVIDIA Chips Confirmed

Russia has reportedly deployed artificial intelligence (AI)-powered autonomous killer drones in Ukraine that select and strike targets without human intervention.

The New York Times (NYT) reported on the 24th (local time), citing the Ukrainian military and drone and digital forensics experts, that following the disassembly of a drone that struck a propane tank facility at a gas station in Zaporizhzhia, southeastern Ukraine, last month, it was confirmed that the drone was operated entirely by AI.

The drone acquired by Ukraine was not equipped with an external communication antenna; instead, it was loaded with NVIDIA's Jetson Orin microcomputer, which allows it to determine its targets on its own.

Analyzing the unencrypted chip, Ukrainian authorities stated that the drone stored terrain images to directly track targets and maintain its flight path, and that it was trained to identify and attack specific types of targets, such as propane tanks.

Ukraine believes that the drone traveled to a pre-set approximate location, identified the target using AI, and then crashed into it.

The propane tank explosion at the time resulted in the deaths of two civilians, including a university student.

While military operations commonly utilize drones equipped with AI systems, they have traditionally operated in a manner where humans decide and input the attack target, with AI only assisting during the actual execution of the strike.

In contrast, autonomous killer drones differ in that AI autonomously selects targets without human intervention.

Consequently, it is impossible to predict who AI will target on the actual battlefield, and as in this case, there is a risk of civilian casualties.

Because of this, the International Committee of the Red Cross and human rights organizations are strongly opposed to the use of AI weapons without human intervention.

Kateryna Bondar, a senior researcher at the Wadhwani AI Center at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), pointed out regarding this case that it is "the clearest evidence that Russia is experimenting with autonomous AI" and noted it as the first confirmed instance where civilian casualties were caused by an AI system mounted on a Russian drone.

Colonel Serhii Minaiev, the air defense commander in Zaporizhzhia, also expressed concern over the emergence of such AI drones, stating, "This is a danger to the whole world. Within a few years, we will find ourselves living in something like 'Terminator.' I am not joking, machines are (now) deciding whether to attack."

To stop such Russian drones, Ukraine has deployed interceptor drones operated by pilots known as "local heroes" and has set up anti-drone nets stretching across approximately 240 miles (about 386 km) of city streets and surrounding roads.

It is also utilizing camouflage tactics to fool the AI image recognition system, such as erecting sheets over high-probability targets likely to be targeted by Russia, like propane tanks.

Meanwhile, Mykhailo Fedorov, the Ukrainian defense minister who was dismissed last month, stated in a media interview that Ukraine has also tested fully autonomous AI systems in Russian-occupied territories such as Crimea.

On the other hand, NVIDIA confirmed to the NYT that the Jetson Orin system mounted on the drone acquired by Ukraine is its product.

NVIDIA explained that the microcomputer is a "consumer product sold to students, developers, and startups for a wide range of uses," adding that while the product is not currently exported to Russia, it is believed to be obtainable through resellers.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.