France and Poland prioritize AI integration in military strategy

The armed forces, as an organization, are constantly in a state of transition. On one hand, they are inherently conservative; on the other, since the 19th century, generals have sought ways to gain a technological advantage. Sometimes they succeed, sometimes they don't. Occasionally, pioneers achieve at least temporary dominance on the battlefield; other times, a premature debut benefits the adversary. Currently, one of the most promising technologies is artificial intelligence (AI).

During the AI Action Summit in Paris on February 10-11, several interesting declarations were made. Notably, there was an announcement to reduce legal regulations to facilitate the development of AI in Europe (at the EU level, as well).

France alone, according to its president Emmanuel Macron, intends to invest 109 billion euros (114.5 billion dollars) in AI over the next few years. This is an impressive amount, somewhat larger (in terms of GDP conversion) than the nearly 500 billion dollars President Donald Trump announced for the same purpose a few weeks earlier. The French plan to use these funds to design and build data centers supporting AI development.

The French Armed Forces will also benefit from this revolution. Bertrand Rondepierre, Director of AI (AMIAD) at the Ministry of Armed Forces, stated in an interview with "Politico" that France must undertake comprehensive actions towards formulating AI algorithms, models, and their training. Their own artificial intelligence algorithms will be essential for maintaining military sovereignty in the near future.

The AMIAD agency, established in May 2024, has an annual budget of 320 million dollars and employs over 100 people. The scope of work is broad, from AI for drones (and their counteraction) to language models for document processing and supporting military planners. In September 2025, the agency will receive its own supercomputer, the most powerful in Europe, though it will be provided by Hewlett-Packard in collaboration with Orange. Rondepierre pointed out that the current monopoly of NVIDIA on essential hardware for ensuring high computational power complicates AI development, as it depends on Washington's policies. However, Paris plans to increase its sovereignty, primarily in the software domain.

Of course, France is not currently a leader in the development of artificial intelligence, as it does not produce its own chips. The USA and China are particularly more advanced, but a growing number of countries are working on their own solutions: Germany, India, Israel, South Korea... These efforts have a specific goal; they are not just for art's sake. So why do soldiers need AI?

Artificial intelligence in the military has applications at many levels. During the Paris summit, Rondepierre highlighted that AI is meant to enhance understanding of the battlefield situation, including operational and logistical dimensions. AI analyzes data, classifies it by importance, and forwards it to officers responsible for its use. In this way, generals will have access to all data at once, but AI ensures that crucial data reaches them first, allowing for faster processing and decision-making.

One might say that AI acts as a gatekeeper, determining the order of messages. In the future, this role will likely expand, possibly evaluating military plans in the context of available data. AI could also be utilized in cryptography or cybersecurity.

At a lower level, AI is already available to soldiers. It is most renowned as an indispensable part of the drone world. AI allows for effective target searching (e.g., by extracting target silhouettes from the background using information from electro-optical heads), planning flight paths, etc. It also offers a chance to counter some electronic warfare measures that jam communication between drones and command centers. In such cases, AI enables the continuation of the mission or, at the very least, a safe return to base.

In the future, more advanced algorithms will allow unmanned combat aircraft to practically pilot themselves in support of manned machines, acting as the "brains" of so-called unmanned wingmen. This is not the only application of AI at the tactical level.

Even today, it's hard to imagine underwater warfare in the navy without AI. In a series about the Orka program, it was noted that modern submarines are extremely difficult to detect. Being very quiet, they can blend into background noise. Artificial intelligence allows the extraction of the right sound— generated, for instance, by the engine room—from that noise, enabling the detection of the large "predator".

In ground forces, AI is expected to assist crews in choosing optimal driving routes, managing the vehicle (again, through information classification), automating certain processes, etc. For example, the Merkava Mk IV Barak was initially intended to communicate automatically with other similar vehicles so that tanks could mutually protect each other in case of a threat without crew involvement. The tank's AI was supposed to communicate with the crew in a female voice, which during tests was found to be more effective than a male voice, as crews ignored it less frequently. However, it is unclear how many solutions were ultimately implemented in the latest Israeli Defense Forces tank.

Poland spends small amounts on the development of AI, and this is no different in terms of military applications. It should be noted that Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Affairs Krzysztof Gawkowski stated that artificial intelligence should not be a subject of an arms race.

Despite such challenges, some progress is occasionally made. Among the practical outcomes, drones are again the most obvious example, such as systems of the Warmate family or FlyEye produced by the WB Group. By gaining experience from their use in Ukraine, Polish programmers can continuously improve them, including by using AI to mitigate jamming effects or guide drones and loitering munitions. The capabilities of the ZSSW-30 unmanned turret remain unclear; according to some reports, it also features AI algorithms supporting crews in combat.

The announcement of the creation of the Center for Artificial Intelligence Implementation offers some hope for more significant progress, as announced by Major General Karol Molenda, commander of the Cyberspace Defense Forces. The new formation will be responsible for the development and implementation of AI solutions for military needs. According to announcements, the Center will participate in work on solutions aligned with mentioned trends. Polish "AI in uniform" would thus support cyber defense, commanders in the planning process, and command operations, among other tasks. The Ministry of National Defense's "AI Departmental Strategy until 2039" published in October 2024 defines the necessity of implementing AI into the Polish Armed Forces as the highest priority. Is it truly such a priority? This will be revealed by future budgets and the amount of funding allocated for this purpose. For now, reasons for optimism remain limited.