A lizard-like robot and other devices that rely on artificial intelligence could soon be a game-changer for the military, according to a defense expert investing in the technology.
The devices include a drone that can operate even in war zones with blocked communications, an artificial intelligence system that can serve as a pilot and a robot capable of identifying weak points in some equipment, including Navy ships, according to the co-founder of Snowpoint Ventures, Doug Philippone.
“The key thing to making progress on the threats that we see around the world is that we have to be able to make decisions very quickly and do something about it as quickly as possible,” said Philippone, who also served as head of global defense for Palantir Technologies. boss since 2008.
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One company within Philippone's portfolio is Shield AI, which created the V-BAT, a fully autonomous drone capable of taking off vertically and staying in the air for 10 hours. But the main draw, Philippone said, is that it can still complete its missions and return home even if communications are cut, such as in battle zones like Ukraine.
“Securing inmates, hunting drugs, finding threats,” Shield AI states. “The most tactical, the simplest from a logistical point of view [unmanned aircraft system] in the world.”
Meanwhile, a second company, Merlin Labs, has developed artificial intelligence capable of serving as a second pilot for cargo planes, although Philippone stressed that he was not seeking its use in commercial flights.
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Shield AI's V-BAT can complete its mission and return home, all without GPS or working communications. (Courtesy of AI Shield)
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“The Merlin Pilot is capable of navigating and recommending trajectory adjustments as necessary” and can communicate directly with air traffic control, the Merlin Labs website states.
“It's been years since the certification process,” Philippone told Fox News. “And in the meantime, they've also been working with the US military.”
He said the technology could be used to help fill gaps caused by pilot shortages.
Merlin Labs aims to get an artificial intelligence system certified as a second pilot to fly cargo planes, according to venture capitalist Doug Philippone. (Courtesy of Merlin Labs)
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Meanwhile, Gecko Robotics “invented these crazy robots that climb and scale” the infrastructure “like a gecko lizard” and make a digital copy, Philippone said.
“Using advanced artificial intelligence techniques, they can now detect exactly where these things will fail,” he continued. “Disasters can be prevented. Intelligent maintenance can be carried out.”
“Our robots collect 1,000 times more information with continuous data capture at speeds an average of 10 times faster than previous methods,” Gecko's website boasts. “Using specially designed sensor payloads, robots can inspect wall thickness, pitting, and many other forms of degradation.”
Gecko Robotics developed devices that can track infrastructure to identify and predict weak points. (Courtesy of Gecko Robotics)
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The Navy, in particular, could benefit from Gecko as it would allow for more targeted maintenance rather than replacing entire parts that officials aren't even sure need repair, according to Philippone.
“It ends up being very expensive for no particular reason,” he said. “They don't actually know that panel needs to be replaced.”
Still, Philippone emphasized that these devices are only part of the equation. Humans should still be the decision makers, she said.
“All of this technology should help humans make decisions, not make decisions for them,” Philippone told Fox News. “I firmly believe that it takes a human being to do that to really encapsulate the risks of those decisions.”
Ramiro Vargas contributed to the attached video.
