Energy weapons will win ai: the scientist revealed what dangerous battle lasers and microwaves

Autonomous equipment, such as military drones, uses a large number of microchips, chambers and other electronics vulnerable to strokes. In the world, there are more and more weapons that rely on autonomous systems and support of artificial intelligence. However, "smart" machines become very vulnerable to energy weapons.

This was told in the article for Scientific America Scientific American journal, President of the Professional Society of Energy and Senior Researcher at Booz Allen Hamilton Corporation, and earlier he was 12 years older engineer-technologist of the US Naval Forces.

In May, the US Navy imitated the air battle over the desert with the F-16 fighter under the control of artificial intelligence, car manufacturers in front are introducing autopilot systems, and in Norway, unmanned cargo ship itself transports fertilizers between ports. More and more such technologies appear on land and in the air, but they all have one critical vulnerability to be taken into account. It is a weapon of directional energy (Ned).

Using laser rays or microwave radiation, it can damage many sensors and electronic components on which the work of autonomous systems depends. For example, unmanned aerial vehicles rely on cameras and powerful computers. Innovative sensors that use optical and radio frequency range of spectrum contribute to the development of autonomous machines, as well as the development of artificial intelligence capable of simulating human thinking.

People will not be limited to unmanned vehicles or drones that deliver goods instead of mail - a new weapon will appear with them. It will complement guns and rockets, as well as radio -electronic remedies that make the connection, forge signals, deceive radars and guidance systems.

According to David Stadudt, since the 1960s, the United States has invested a lot of money in the development of directional energy systems that create an intense electromagnetic environment that can disable it, damage or destroy the equipment in battle. Although such a weapon has been used in scientific fiction for over a century, it is now becoming a reality.

In recent years, the US Defense Defense has invested more than $ 1 billion annually in directed energy technology, which usually take the form of high -energy lasers or powerful microwave systems. Some types of laser and microwave weapons are already deployed by the army, such as in the Middle East, while others are just tested. Lasers can usually hit goals further, but only one object at a time.

In this case, microwave systems have a lower range and wider scope, so they affect several goals at once if they find themselves close enough. Microwave weapons are used today to defeat a flock of battle drones, it "burns" electronics and causes the equipment to fall helplessly on the ground. Such drones are actively used in Ukraine by both defense forces and occupiers.

Most laser systems emit powerful continuous rays, but should remain aimed at a certain part of the target for a long time to damage the body or electronics, like a blow lamp. Optical autonomous systems sensors are particularly vulnerable to laser attacks, and even a commercial level. In free sale, you can find complexes of different power and turn them into weapons against enemy optics, installing an elementary optical sight. Microwave or radio frequency weapons directly affect electronics.

Most developments today rely on the creation of extremely high peak capacities from 1 million watts to 1 trillion W W with the pulse duration usually less than one million second, which breaks, aggravates or damage the system. Not only autonomous drones, but any electronics, including power control systems. Radio -frequency weapons or transmits energy to predicted electromagnetic apertures goals known as "input" communication, or through unintentional bonds called "black doors".

One example of the first option is an attack through the receiver antenna, in the second case, energy can reach the chains of the target inside the target system through the seams, non -conducting surfaces or unreaced wires, creating a transitional voltage, which can cause a failure or even create an electric arc that burns the microcib. Even optical sensors are vulnerable to microwave radiation, as they quickly convert images to electrical signals.

Unlike the usual remedies of radio -electronic fight, harmful effects often continue even after stopping radiation and lead to a fall in drones. True artificial intelligence is extremely difficult, and experts are still arguing whether such systems will ever understand the situation and work in real scenarios. Since manufacturers of autonomous vehicles continue to strive to create unmanned vehicles, they often use different types of sensors to achieve their goals.

For example, Tesla has recently decided to use only optical cameras for its Tesla Vision vehicles, while Alphabet Waymos use a combination of Radar, Lidar (distance measurement device) and cameras. Similar debates occur around different levels of autonomy of drones and the necessary related sensors. David Staudt drew attention to the fact that all autonomous platforms require computer data processing, often called peripheral computing, which also require protection.

Regardless of the system, developers are most likely not to pay attention to future threats in the field of electromagnetic weapons, although it is easier to implement facilities at the stage of development. "Modern Neds have already proven effective, and the US is one of many countries conducting research in this field.