The nature of current military technological innovations

The Pentagon has announced that it will invest USD 18 billion in the research and development of military technologies. One of the main goals behind these investments is the capacity to develop autonomous platforms that are able to utilise artificial intelligence in order to operate on their own and to behave without a human in the loop. If it is ever realised, this innovation will open the door to the third revolution in warfare, after the invention of gunpowder and the nuclear bomb. Alongside the use of computers as decision support tools, current technologies can also allow the armed forces to better coordinate their actions. The various types of cyberattacks do not seem very different from other more traditional ways of waging war or of attacking enemies, and are simply methods that states use to deceive their enemies in order to increase the chances of success of their military operations and to protect their soldiers' lives.