Military technology firms want to use the “unprecedented opportunity” of the war in Ukraine to collect battlefield data, assisting them in developing AI war systems, as well as the next generation of weapons.
Executives from firms such as Helsing are traveling to Kiev to see the development of their products, with the data analytics company Palantir having opened an office in the Ukrainian capital for the same reason. Some of the weapons being tested include drones that can break through windows and perfectly map out floor plans of buildings.
“Ukraine is the only place in the world where you can get that data at the moment,” says associate professor for War Studies at the University of Southern Denmark, Ingvild Bode.
Ukraine was initially more than willing to allow companies to test new products – including companies that had their products rejected by the Pentagon. The nation’s government, however, has become more restrictive as it recognizes the value of the data, even discussing whether it can start building its own military-tech industry as leverage for access.
“You can’t even imagine how many foreign companies are already using Ukraine as a testing ground for their products… everything that has a software component is in Ukraine right now,” stated Ukraine’s deputy minister for digital transformation, Alex Bornyakov, before adding, “[t]his data certainly is not for sale. It’s only available if you offer some sort of mutually beneficial cooperation.”
The British Secretary of State for Defence, Ben Wallace, recently remarked that the British government has become a “battle lab” for the nation’s military technology and effectiveness.
