The German army is investing millions in the development of a virtual training environment based on artificial intelligence (AI), which can be called a military “metaverse”. This environment will make it possible to test various weapons and systems in a safe environment without risk.
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The project, known as “GhostPlay”, was developed by the company “21strategies” in cooperation with start-ups and experts in the field of defense. The project is funded by the German Ministry of Defense as part of a 500 million euro ($540 million) aid package to deal with the Corona epidemic, which also aims to help revive the country’s high-tech defense sector.
GhostPlay’s website describes the platform as a “machine-speed AI-based decision-making simulation environment.”
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“New and excellent methods of operation can be developed by simulating complex military battle scenarios,” the company’s website says. “As a result, flexibility and superiority can be achieved at the strategic, tactical and operational levels.”
The simulations can create “unpredictable” conditions to improve the thoroughness of tests and the depth of preparation for military planning, the developers said. One of the key aspects that differentiates the platform is the use of “third generation” algorithms, which, according to “21strategies” CEO Yvonne Hofstetter, create “more human” decision-making than the simultaneous units.
She explained that the algorithms of the second generation only improve or speed up decision-making, but the third generation will help create new situations and determine new actions.
The platform aims to recreate different environments “down to the last leaf” according to Hofstetter, and GhostPlay achieves this by collecting satellite imagery and local databases on everything from habitats to vegetation. “There’s enough information … pretty scary, really,” Hofstetter said.
The most promising exercise the platform has recently explored is looking at how to best optimize tactics, particularly roaming munitions. The Army’s Development Office is collaborating with the platform precisely because of its ability to recreate detailed environments in which the ammunition will be deployed.
A press release from “Hensoldt”, a multinational company that provides financing for the “GhostPlay” platform, states that “To optimally enable highly complex defense systems, we need to master artificial intelligence in its entirety. To this end, we develop many AI capabilities in-house and fill them in a very focused way.”