UK to use Ukraine battlefield data to train AI to protect sensitive sites

The UK and Ukraine have signed a deal to harness Ukrainian battlefield data to train artificial intelligence (AI) models for safeguarding sensitive sites across the UK. These AI models will be trained on Ukraine's extensive data, collected by the Avengers AI lab in Ukraine, to help protect the UK's defence sites, railways, and energy plants. The data will be shared with private companies, which will be granted access through a secure platform, raising concerns among privacy campaigners.

The pilot project will be conducted at a UK defence site to develop models capable of identifying protesters or hostile-state attacks using AI-optimized sensors embedded in buried fiber-optic cables. These sensors can detect different types of movement, enabling the AI models to identify potential threats to sensitive sites. If successful, the technology could be applied to other locations like airports, prisons, railways, and energy infrastructure.

The controversial proscription of the activist group Palestine Action was triggered by their incursion onto RAF Brize Norton in June 2022, resulting in the defacement of two military aircraft. The group claimed they targeted RAF Voyager aircraft, stating that activists had disrupted Britain's participation in genocide and war crimes across the Middle East. The UK government has approved three British AI companies, Sintela, Mind Foundry, and Skyral, to collaborate on the project.

The defense ministry expects the AI models to predict when infrastructure might face threats or stress from hostile actors, primarily by analyzing data from buried fiber-optic cables. These cables are designed to identify unique movements of people or vehicles around sensitive sites. The UK government aims to use the AI models to quickly identify potential threats, allowing for timely protective measures.

The prime minister, Andy Burnham, sees this collaboration as an opportunity for British companies to combine their AI expertise with Ukraine's battlefield data, accelerating the development of advanced security capabilities that will bolster national security and the protection of critical infrastructure.