BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 27. Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming the global defence industry, with a new generation of technology companies emerging alongside traditional military contractors and changing the way modern armed forces prepare for future conflicts.
For decades, military power has largely depended on conventional hardware such as tanks, fighter aircraft, warships, artillery systems and small arms produced by a relatively small group of defence manufacturers under long-term government contracts.
Today, however, governments are investing billions of dollars in companies specializing in artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, data analytics and advanced military software, accelerating the transition from a traditional military-industrial complex to what many analysts describe as a military-tech ecosystem.
The shift reflects growing demand for technologies capable of supporting intelligence gathering, battlefield decision-making, autonomous drones, surveillance systems, cybersecurity and command-and-control operations.
Defence experts say AI is increasingly becoming a strategic component of national security, enabling faster analysis of vast amounts of information and improving the speed and precision of military operations.
At the same time, the rapid integration of artificial intelligence into defence has raised concerns over ethics, accountability, regulation and the future role of human decision-making in warfare.
The growing influence of AI companies in the defence sector is the focus of an Al Jazeera series examining how emerging technologies are reshaping military strategies and the future of global security.
