Both Ukraine and Russia are using AI in the current conflict, particularly for target recognition. The technology can scan and analyze images much faster than humans, allowing the military to respond more effectively.
According to Oleksandr Dmitriev, founder of Ukraine's OCHI digital system, the system has collected more than 2 million hours of video from more than 15,000 drone fleets since 2022. He calls this "food" for AI, because this huge amount of data will help AI models learn and become extremely intelligent.
These videos help the AI identify targets, analyze tactics, and figure out how to use weapons most effectively. Dmitriev explained that the AI can learn to calculate shooting angles and trajectories for maximum effectiveness.
The OCHI system was originally created to give military commanders a bird’s eye view of the battlefield. It displays video from all drone teams on a single screen. After implementation, the development team realized that these videos had long-term archival value, so they started saving all the data. Currently, OCHI saves about 5-6 terabytes of new video every day.
Several of Ukraine’s allies have also expressed interest in the system, but Mr Dmitriev did not provide details of the discussions.
According to experts, this huge amount of data is very useful in training AI to recognize elements on the battlefield such as paths, obstacles or ambush risks. Kateryna Bondar, an AI expert, emphasized that image quality and data size are important factors, because AI learns to recognize targets based on shape and color.
In addition to OCHI, Ukraine also has another system called Avengers, managed by the Ministry of Defense, which collects video from drones and surveillance cameras. This system is said to be capable of detecting 12,000 Russian devices per week thanks to AI technology.
Not only stopping at data analysis, Ukraine also develops autonomous drone technology and uses AI to detect mines.
Meanwhile, Russia has also announced the use of AI on the battlefield, especially in its Lancet attack drones, which are said to be very effective in destroying Ukrainian armored vehicles.
