New tank with AI under testing | | | | Turtles AI

The US Army is currently testing the Advanced Targeting and Lethality Aided System (ATLAS) program, which uses cutting-edge sensor technology and machine learning algorithms to automate human tasks during passive target acquisition. This testing is taking place during a five-week event called Project Convergence 2022 (PC22). The ATLAS program, developed by the Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) Center and the Armaments Centers of the US Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM), uses cutting-edge sensor technology and machine learning algorithms to automate human tasks during passive target acquisition. The ATLAS program can enable tank crews to attack three targets in the same amount of time it would typically take to shoot one. The system's target recognition system is built to use machine learning algorithms based on enormous databases compiled by the Army to protect against false information and keep up with changing circumstances. The optical sensor mounted to the tank feeds photos of the surrounding area into AI algorithms for object detection and image categorization. The tank commanders can then see pictures of the detected threats and choose which weapons and ammo are available on the tank's touchscreen interface. The AI won't intervene in the human's ability to ascertain hostile intent, which is required under the law of war, before engaging in a self-defense shooting. Through experimentation and application of AI, the program primarily seeks to accelerate target detection, relieving tank personnel from relying solely on manual target location. The Army has been developing strategies to increase tank lethality for several years through AI and machine learning technology. Commissioning ATLAS might provide the Army with several advantages, such as AI- and computer-assisted target selection to detect risks that humans cannot see, speeding up the elimination of threats by tank operators. This might aid tank operators in prioritizing which threats to eliminate in particular scenarios. The M1 Abrams requires crew to undergo extensive training before use. Still, the tank operator can use the ATLAS system to detect and shoot the target by making quick decisions. This is one example of how AI will play a more significant role in future weapons development, as the Department of Defense has been pushing toward autonomous weapons systems and AI in general.