In a recent episode of the BNR Digitaal podcast series, RAW’s Dr. Marijn Hoijtink joined hosts Joe van Burik and Ben van der Burg to discuss the role of AI in warfare. 

Dr. Hoijtink explains two key applications of AI in warfare: autonomous weapon systems and military decision-making. She discussed the varying levels of autonomy in these systems, ranging from “human in the loop” to fully autonomous operations, and explained how AI is applied in decision-making processes, focusing on target selection.

Dr. Hoijtink also delved into the data that AI-driven systems rely on to make targeting decisions. She emphasized the importance of understanding the data these systems leverage, highlighting the challenges created by the secrecy surrounding this information, which leaves researchers, society, and others in the dark.

Finally, the discussion turned to the position of the Netherlands in the global AI arms race. Although the Dutch government has publicly opposed fully autonomous weapon systems and stressed the need for maintaining human control, Dr. Hoijtink pointed out that this stance does not necessarily prevent purchasing systems that blur the lines of autonomy and raise concerns about the extent of human involvement.

Listen to Dr. Hoijtink’s interview at minute 36:30, or explore the full Dutch recording below.

Image by Kaan Durmuş