Small AI models let drones autonomously identify and attack battlefield targets

As European militaries adapt to the integration of AI and drones in contemporary warfare, a NATO-backed startup is facilitating the deployment of AI-driven target detection and selection systems that can operate on compact drones for surveillance and combat missions. Scaleout Systems, a company originally established by researchers from Uppsala University in Sweden in 2018, initially concentrated on training and deploying machine learning models within the hardware of commercial trucks and other vehicles.

However, following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the organization redirected its focus towards defense applications. Andreas Hellander, cofounder and CEO of Scaleout Systems, explained to Ars that the company recognized the potential of this technology to operationalize edge data and sensor data for machine learning, enabling NATO allies to gain a strategic advantage in the evolving geopolitical landscape.