As reported by Futurism, AI is an important component of the United States Navy’s Consolidated Afloat Networks and Enterprise Services (CANES) system. CANES links vessels including boats and submarines together, allowing information to be shared between on-shore locations and Navy crews at sea.
CANES is now being deployed across the fleet and has already made it to over 50 vessels. The latest implementations have been specially upgraded to include enhanced autonomous functionality. The Navy intends to use AI to automate intelligence gathering, analyse new data in real-time and take control of next-generation weapons systems.
Effective modern warfare depends on the fast analysis of data from streaming sources and connected sensors. AI could greatly assist Navy crews as they work by performing many of the analytical tasks automatically. While the technology’s currently being explored as a defensive tool, its scope could be broadened to include offensive operations in the future.
“We are very interested in artificial intelligence being able to help us better than it is today. Industry is using it well and we want to leverage those same capabilities,” Rear Adm. Danelle Barrett, U.S. Navy Cyber Security Division Director, said to Warrior. “We want to use it not only for defensive sensing of our networks but also for suggesting countermeasures. We want to trust a machine and also look at AI in terms of how we use it against adversaries.”
READ NEXT: Microsoft says society needs to talk about AI legislation
AI can also help to protect Navy vessels against cyberattacks and improve collaboration between on-shore staff and sailors. The ship’s networks could intelligently optimise algorithms in response to real-time environment changes, making the Navy fleet more versatile when responding to threats. Automated defences allow crews to concentrate on their main task, without having to continually monitor for cyber threats.
The deployment of CANES shows how AI is applicable to every organisation, including government bodies and warfare services. AI’s already being embraced by businesses looking to modernise their operations and improve efficiency. The same benefits are being sought after by the Navy and other military services too, despite warnings that more needs to be done around AI ethics before the technology can proliferate.
