A Russian drone killed three civilians in a recent attack in southeastern Ukraine, with reports claiming it to be the first time Moscow deployed drones powered by a fully autonomous AI system.
Wreckage found at a gas station in Zaporizhzhia revealed the drone carried Nvidia minicomputers, which have been found in other Russian weapons and are said to be responsible for powering advanced AI systems.
While sources say the drone carried video cameras, it was found to have no antennas that could communicate with a human operator.
The drone was part of a swarm with five other systems, with the attack conducted in multiple waves that involved one large-scale operation after the other.
Ukrainian officials have said the Nvidia chips inside the drones were not encrypted, meaning specialists can view the terrain images the systems could potentially have used to guide themselves on course.
According to the reports, none of the drones transmitted any radio signal.
The attack resulted in the deaths of a 19-year-old university student and two men aged 41 and 48.
AI Drones in Combat
While both Russia and Ukraine have deployed AI-based drones throughout the war, the AI usually only takes over in the final stage of an attack after a human operator has confirmed a target.
A fully autonomous system completely removes the human aspect in the entire kill chain loop, which experts say could endanger people who are mistaken by AI as targets.
The Zaporizhzhia attack could set a precedent that allows the use of autonomous drones that can independently identify a target, creating risks for civilians and flouting international law.
