The US, Canada, and the UK will collaborate on the research, development, testing, and evaluation of artificial intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity technologies.
The consortium comprises the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the UK Ministry of Defence, and the Canadian Department of National Defense to “leverage relevant research programs among all nations and reduce duplication of efforts.”
“Working with our international partners on science and technology helps us all leverage each other’s individual strengths in order to develop much greater collective capability,” said DARPA Director Stefanie Tompkins.
CASTLE
One of the initial projects is CASTLE (Cyber Agents for Security Testing and Learning Environments), which uses AI to optimize defense against advanced cyber threats.
DARPA explained that CASTLE allows AI to autonomously detect, classify, and respond to cyber threats, easing the burden on human operators.
The AI market is set to expand significantly, potentially reaching $908.7 billion by 2030.
Investments in AI systems development aim to automate critical tasks such as intelligence gathering, surveillance, command operations, and simulations.
However, it also raises ethical and security challenges.
Particular concerns have been raised regarding autonomous weapons systems capable of rapid decision-making in battlefield scenarios, targeting and eliminating threats without human input.