Article Posted on : - Sep 26, 2019

A file photo.

HISAR, HARYANA (PTI): With an aim to boost its combat capabilities, the Army is likely to induct artificial intelligence technology in the next couple of years and the first one to use it will be the mechanised forces, a top Army commander said on Wednesday.

South Western Command's Chief Lt Gen Alok Singh Kler said this during an interaction with reporters on the sidelines of a first-of-a-kind seminar on AI, hosted at Hisar Military Station.

"For using AI for military usage and mechanised forces, the Army has to become completely network-centric. Presently, we are very network-enabled," he said.

"Very soon in the next 2-3 years, the Army may be inducting AI for constructive and disruptive usage, and the first one to use that will be the mechanised forces," said the Army commander of the Jaipur-based Sapta Shakti.

The Hisar Military Station is home to the 33rd Armoured Division of the Army.

Asked if AI can help predict accidents like the MiG-21 jet crash near Gwalior Base on Wednesday, he said, safety of humans should be put above safety of a system.

"Any system can crash, but what is important is that even if we incorporate AI, safety of humans has to be more important over safety of machines. And, in today's crash, what is more important is that the two pilots are safe," the Army commander said.

Kler said this seminar was a "big step" towards boosting combat capabilities.

"From ground to space to water to air, AI will assist Army in every sphere," he asserted.

The seminar on AI, the first in connection with military field formation, was organised by the South Western Command ''Sapta Shakti'' and also attended by domain experts from academia and the industry.

Kler said disruptive technologies like artificial intelligence will dictate how the future warfare will happen.

Lt Gen Kler is the 10th GOC-in-C (General Officer Commanding in Chief) of the Jaipur-based South Western Command and was commissioned in Armoured Corps in 1982.

"In near future, constructive use of AI will soon be followed by direct kinetic vector being controlled by AI," he said.

'Sapta Shakti' Wartech Exhibition was also organised as part of the event having a tagline ''Empowering the Future Soldier'' to bring together the Army and the defence industry under one roof with an aim to synergise Army's aspirations and the efforts of the industry.