21strategies & The Vision of GhostPlay: A Battlefield Metaverse
September 5 – COLOGNE, Germany — Drones with the cunning to outwit any air defense, weapons that are a step ahead of drone tactics, and AI sniff tests to validate real-world performance — all these might sound straight out of a sci-fi novel. Yet, they are swiftly becoming a reality through Germany’s groundbreaking project: the GhostPlay virtual battlefield in the Metaverse.
“At the heart of the platform, internally dubbed a metaverse for the Bundeswehr, or German military, lies a kind of supercharged artificial intelligence engine built on self-learning and enhanced autonomy,” – Yvonne Hofstetter, CEO of 21strategies.
The Powerhouse Behind the Project
Leading the GhostPlay initiative is 21strategies, alongside sensor specialists Hensoldt, Bundeswehr University Hamburg, and Switzerland’s Borchert Consulting and Research. This consortium promises acquisition officials a chance to test new features for unmanned systems, defense mechanisms, and more, with the primary goal of identifying design phase shortcomings.
German Defense Ministry’s Investment in High-Tech Defense
The German Defence Ministry’s endorsement of this state-of-the-art venture comes from a whopping €500 million (U.S. $540 million) COVID-19 subsidy package, earmarked over four years. The intention? To stimulate Germany’s high-tech defense research sector. Managed grants for the project are supervised by dtec.bw, a collaboration between Germany’s two Bundeswehr universities.
Comparing Third-Wave and Second-Wave AI Algorithms
What truly distinguishes GhostPlay from its counterparts is its pioneering use of “third-wave” algorithms. As Hofstetter shared in a Defense News interview, this entails the virtual battlefield agents making decisions in a manner more reminiscent of human thought – with the unpredictability and element of surprise that comes with it. This contrasts significantly from “second-wave” AI, which acts more as an adjunct to human decisions.
How GhostPlay Simulates Real-World Battlefields
Hofstetter elaborates on GhostPlay’s profound capabilities:
“Programmers say they can create would-be battlefields as digital twins of the real world… coders would fan out to copy the environment “down to the last leaf” using satellite photos and local authorities’ databases.”
Moreover, open-source intelligence enables coders to mimic enemy weapons’ performance. This entails everything from seeker technology in missiles to air defense weapon characteristics.
Discussing the depth of available data, Hofstetter remarks, “There is enough info … kind of scary, really.” This data reservoir includes historic military handbooks from the German Democratic Republic, offering insights into contemporary warfare tactics, like those seen in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The Role of AI in Revitalizing Legacy Military Equipment
Researchers see potential in integrating GhostPlay’s AI decision-making into existing military hardware. As Heiko Borchert of Borchert Consulting mentions, this could offer legacy systems a fresh lease on life. A report from GhostPlay officials posits the AI-infused German Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft gun could notably bolster its target hit rate.
The Gepard’s capabilities in the GhostPlay metaverse demonstrate advanced techniques. For instance, it discerns when to annihilate or merely incapacitate a target based on threat levels. Its algorithm has also mastered prioritizing threats, shooting weapon-carrying platforms first and delaying action on others.
A digital frontline…
GhostPlay is more than just an AI-powered battlefield; it represents the next frontier of military strategy and technology. As we venture deeper into this digital age, projects like GhostPlay will become central to national defense strategies across the globe. What are your thoughts on this innovative metaverse? Share your insights in the comments below.
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