AI, Deep Learning, and Machine Learning for Munitions Autonomous Target Acquisition (Dynetics / U.S. Air Force) — a federal contract (USAspending)

1What target acquisition involves

"Target acquisition" refers to the process of finding an object within information captured by sensors (sensing devices such as cameras or radar) and determining its position and type.

This contract aims to carry out that process "autonomously" — that is, performed by the machine without case-by-case human judgment — and applies artificial intelligence (AI, technology that lets a computer perform tasks resembling human judgment), deep learning (a machine-learning method using multilayer neural networks), and machine learning (technology that learns patterns from data) to munitions and guided weapons.

2When AI takes part of the identification step

This area draws attention because AI techniques, which are strong at recognizing images and signals, have advanced to a stage where they can take on part of the identification and judgment work formerly done by people.

The fact that the buyer is the U.S. Air Force and the subject is munitions and guided weapons positions this as one example of how far the application of AI in defense has progressed and how it might be implemented. What specific results or capabilities were achieved is not stated in the source, so no judgment is made here.

3How much autonomy to allow

Viewed across the broader picture, this contract serves as a clue to which companies the federal government funds, on what technical themes, and at what scale.

The military use of AI — how much autonomy to allow and at what stage humans remain involved — is a topic of global debate, and the accumulation of such individual contracts provides primary information for understanding the flow of public funds and the direction of technology.

4Breaking target acquisition into steps

Target acquisition is not one action. Divided, it shows where autonomy is being sought.

1. 1The sensor takes in informationCameras, radar and other sensing devices capture the surroundings
2. 2Find the objectLocate the target within what was captured
3. 3Fix position and typeIdentify what was found
4. 4Do it autonomouslyCarried on the machine side without individual human judgement (the aim here)

The field draws attention because AI strong at recognising images and signals has reached a stage where it can carry part of the identification and judgement people have handled. Military use of AI is a field of worldwide debate over how much autonomy to allow and at what stage a human is involved. Specific results and functions do not appear in the source.