High-Tech Defense Industries: Developing Autonomous Intelligent Systems

TLDR

After the Cold War, defense industries faced a crossroads but are now gaining momentum through robotics and AI, yet uncertainty remains about investment priorities and strategic‑level automation is limited. The study aims to clarify investment priorities in high‑tech defense by conducting a systematic literature review using the PRISMA protocol and content analysis. The authors performed a systematic literature review following the PRISMA protocol and content analysis. The review found that defense industries are developing autonomous intelligent systems in fully, partially, and smart decision‑making modes, with high growth potential at the tactical level where robotics and AI can outperform humans in structured, analytical tasks.

Abstract

After the Cold War, the defense industries found themselves at a crossroads. However, it seems that they are gaining new momentum, as new technologies such as robotics and artificial intelligence are enabling the development of autonomous, highly innovative and disruptive intelligent systems. Despite this new impetus, there are still doubts about where to invest limited financial resources to boost high-tech defense industries. In order to shed some light on the topic, we decided to conduct a systematic literature review by using the PRISMA protocol and content analysis. The results indicate that autonomous intelligent systems are being developed by the defense industry and categorized into three different modes—fully autonomous operations, partially autonomous operations, and smart autonomous decision-making. In addition, it is also important to note that, at a strategic level of war, there is limited room for automation given the need for human intervention. However, at the tactical level of war, there is a high probability of growth in industrial defense, since, at this level, structured decisions and complex analytical-cognitive tasks are carried out. In the light of carrying out those decisions and tasks, robotics and artificial intelligence can make a contribution far superior to that of human beings.