Artificial intelligence for decision support in command and control systems

Artificial intelligence (AI) is the intelligent behavior displayed by machines. In everyday terms, the term AI is used when machines mimic the cognitive functions that people associate with learning and problem solving. The key issues within AI include reasoning, planning, and learning. In military applications, AI becomes increasingly important in systems used at different military levels, from the combat level to tactical and operational levels. This development provides the possibility to construct intelligent decision support systems to be used at the battalion and brigade levels. Based on empirical data gathered through structured user-centered activities involving military personnel, this study investigates how AI may be used in command and control systems. Its use for both intelligence and operations processes is studied. In particular, the study focuses on how AI methods can be used for decision support for processes that provide a common operational picture, that use threat analysis to predict enemy actions, and that analyze own forces' alternative actions. It is concluded that the benefit of AI for the armed forces is that it can deliver critical system support when the time is limited or when the number of choices is too large for people to be able to analyze all alternatives. It is likely that the side that successfully implements AI in its command and control system can become the best and fastest at analyzing the available information, and as a result can make quicker decisions and gain an operational advantage over its opponent.