UK military is using augmented reality in training sessions, rapidly changing environments

The British military is using SimCentric's virtual reality system Saf-Tac along with the Oculus Rift S headset and the Unreal Engine software to incorporate Augmented Reality (AR) or virtual reality to train individuals for missions, as per BBC report. The software has reportedly allowed the creation of  3D virtual worlds using already developed parts. This enabled the creation of bespoke environments that can be rapidly produced for each mission. The simulation utilizes Epic Games’ Unreal Engine graphics that put together shooter games that run on the same software. 

Apart from the UK military, Futurism reported in 2019 that the United States military constructed a huge virtual reality platform to enhance the training of infantry soldiers in realistic battlefields during wartime. The American military could create a Synthetic Training Environment (STE) back in April 2019 and the media outlet at the time had even reported how US Army published a whitepaper describing its ability to simulate cities in the United States and North Korea. 

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US Should Consider AI Weapons, Says Panel

Not just virtual reality, even weapons with artificial intelligence are being discussed to be included in the military powers. The United States should allow the use or development of autonomous weapons powered by artificial intelligence (AI) software, said a government-appointed panel in a draft report for Congress. The panel led by the former Google CEO Eric Schmidt on January 26 concluded after two days of public discussion about how one of the world’s biggest military superpowers should consider AI for national security as well as for elevating technology. 

Its vice-chairman, Robert Work, a former deputy secretary of defence cited fewer chances of mistakes by autonomous weapons as compared to humans, to stop its ban in the military. Thus, according to him, it would prevent deaths or other mishappenings caused by the misidentification of the target. He termed it as a “moral imperative to at least pursue this hypothesis”. However, this discussion came against the controversial frontier of human rights and warfare. “It is a moral imperative to pursue this hypothesis because autonomous systems will not be indiscriminate unless designed that way,” said Bob Work, NSCAI Vice-Chair. 

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