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"Such technology represents our coming danger," warns a defense consultant, who has just acquired a newly intercepted Russian drone.

This proved to be no ordinary drone either, it was revealed. Assisted by AI, the drone is able to find and attack targets autonomously.

The consultant has examined numerous drones in his role as the nation's defence forces consultant.

Unlike previous versions, the drone didn't send or accept communications, so could not be jammed.

Russian and Ukrainian militaries have both been testing AI in this war, and for certain tasks are now using it, for target identification, gathering intelligence and de-mining.

And for the Ukrainian army, AI has become indispensable.

"Our military receives more than 50,000 video streams [from the battlefield] every month which are processed by artificial intelligence," states the deputy defence minister.

"This enables us quickly process huge volumes of information, identify targets and mark them on a map."

AI-Driven Technology as a Critical Tool

AI-empowered tech is regarded as a tool that improves strategic planning, optimize resources and in the end protect personnel.

However when it comes to unmanned weapons systems, it's transforming the battlefield.

Ukrainian troops currently employ AI-based software enabling unmanned aircraft fix on a target and then fly autonomously for the last few hundred metres until the mission concludes.

Signal disruption cannot be done and destroying such a tiny airborne device proves difficult.

Ultimately these systems will likely evolve into completely independent weapons that can detect and eliminate objectives on their own.

An operator will need to do is tap a icon on a smartphone app, notes a tech executive, chief executive of a local developer.

The drone will do everything else, he says, finding the target, dropping explosives, assessing the impact and then coming back to headquarters.

"And it would not even require flight experience from the soldier," he adds.

Interceptor Systems and Upcoming Advancements

Interceptor unmanned craft with that kind of automation could greatly strengthen defensive systems against enemy remote strike aircraft, like the notorious Shaheds.

"A computer-guided autonomous system can be superior to a human in numerous aspects," explains Azhnyuk. "It can be sharper. It can see the target faster than a human can. It is quicker."

The official indicates such a system does not exist yet, but he mentions the country is close to finishing its development. "They've partly implemented it in some devices," states the deputy defence minister.

There could even be thousands of these technologies deployed by the year 2026, predicts the developer.

Cautions and Risks of Total Autonomy

But Ukrainian creators are cautious about completely relying on defence systems that depend solely on AI, with no operator input. The danger is AI might not distinguish a Ukrainian fighter from a Russian combatant, as they may be wearing the same uniform, notes Vadym, who declined to give his surname.

His company makes remotely controlled machine guns, that employ artificial intelligence to automatically detect individuals and track them. Due to worries about friendly fire, he says they avoid including an automatic shooting option.

"It can be activated, but we must gain further expertise and more feedback from the ground forces in order to understand when it is safe to employ this capability."

Ethical Issues and International Regulations

There are also fears that AI-driven technologies could breach the laws of armed conflict. How will they prevent harming civilians, or tell apart personnel who want to surrender?

According to the official, the final decision in these cases must be made by a human, even if AI could make it "simpler to choose". Yet there are no guarantees that nations or armed groups will adhere to global humanitarian standards.

So counteracting such technologies becomes even more critical.

How do you stop a "mass of unmanned craft" when jamming or employing jets, armored vehicles or missiles is rendered ineffective?

Ukraine's very effective "Spider Web" operation, when a hundred drones attacked Russian military airports last June, is believed to be assisted by AI tools.

Many in Ukraine fear that Moscow will copy this approach, not just on the battlefront but further afield too.

The country's president cautioned the United Nations recently that AI was fueling "the worst arms race in human history."

He urged global rules for the use of AI in armaments, and said the matter was "equally pressing as preventing the spread of atomic arms."