You might be wondering how advanced AI systems are becoming. The US military is currently testing an experimental AI network that will identify future events worth closer attention and predict their outcome.These tests are known as the Global Information Dominance Experiments, or GIDE. They combine data from many sources including satellite imagery, intelligence reports and sensors in the field.This setup also includes cloud computing, which makes it possible to process large amounts of data from around the globe efficiently and make them available for any military personnel or agencies that require them.In a press conference last week, General Glen D. VanHerck, US Air Force, stated that GIDE (the Global Information Dominance Experiments) embodies fundamental changes in the way we use information and data to increase the decision space for leaders at all levels, not just military leaders but also civilian leaders.It is possible to predict the movements of other countries far ahead of their actions, so that deterrents or precautions can be in place before fighting begins, or before hostilities get a chance to escalate.The leaps in logic are not as large as you might think. If a submarine is being prepared to leave port, it will be quite obvious that it is on its way to sea. The AI is able to use machine learning to quickly spot and collect all of this information faster than human operators.Another example is the number and size of cars in a parking lot at a military base, research station or other location. If AI detects an increase in activity, it can alert other parts of the system. This data is then analyzed as part a large data set.VanHerck stated that "the data exists." VanHerck stated, "What we are doing is making that information available, making it available, and sharing that data into a cloud where machine-learning and artificial intelligence can look at it." They process it quickly and give it to decision-makers. This is what I call decision superiority.This gives us advanced warning and the ability to respond quickly. We can now see the GEOINT satellite image with our analysts in minutes, or even near real-time, where we might not have seen them before.The US doesn't give too much information about the new AI systems or how they process the information, but it is clear that the end result is faster data processing. A third round of GIDE testing has just been completed and another is in the works.Although the experiments sound a little Minority Report, people are being held for crimes they have not committed. Officials are using them to supercharge information gathering and not as a way to see into the future.VanHerck emphasizes that humans still make all decisions based upon the data produced by machine-learning systems. He believes that the AI currently under development will end up de-escalating rather than the reverse.VanHerck stated, "Decision space is created by the ability to see ahead days," "Decision space is important for me as an operational commander in order to position forces to create deterrence alternatives to provide that to Secretary or the President."
