Agentic AI and Future Warfare: When Machines Become War Heroes

Introduction: AI enters war

Artificial Intelligence (AI), previously limited to productivity tools, recommendation engines and chatbots, is now making its impact in the world’s most sensitive and destructive field — “warfare”. A new era has begun, where Agentic AI — systems that can make decisions on their own without any human input — are going to control every aspect of the battlefield.

Developed countries like the US are investing billions of dollars in this new model where AI systems are replacing soldiers, drones and bots are being deployed on the front lines, and strategy is going into the hands of machines. This is not just a technological revolution, but also a moral, political and spiritual challenge.

Big Tech and the AI War: When OpenAI and Google Become War Partners

Today, AI-based warfare systems are no longer confined to military labs — they are being developed by the world’s biggest tech giants:

• OpenAI
• Google DeepMind
• xAI (Elon Musk’s AI venture)
• Anthropic

These companies aren’t just building civilian chatbots or productivity tools, but are developing combat-level AI systems — which:

• Optimize combat logistics.
• Monitor the battlefield with high-resolution surveillance and satellite coordination.
• Execute pinpoint precision strikes.
• Make self-contained decisions without any human input.

These AI systems are directly integrated with satellite communications, radar feeds, and battlefield drones — where a centralized AI engine coordinates the entire battle.

Imagine: an AI system that simultaneously analyzes a battlefield map, accesses satellite feeds, and identifies targets and sends fire commands to drones — all in milliseconds, without any humans involved.

What does this partnership mean?

• Power is becoming centralized in the hands of companies that already have data on billions of users.
• Military and corporate technology are fusion — what some are calling a “digital military-industrial complex.”
• Developing countries and the Global South have neither such resources nor such partnerships — creating a deep inequality in AI warfare.

Ethical concerns: When tech giants become weapons manufacturers

This AI partnership ecosystem also raises some important ethical questions:

• Should private companies develop the tools of war?
• Should the development of AI systems that can kill humans be profit-motivated?
• Can a platform like OpenAI, originally created to create safe AI, now provide ethical justification for developing the tools of war?

 Machine-led warfare: When war becomes algorithm-driven

1. Machine-led warfare – soldier-free battlefield

The war of the future will not have human battalions like before. Now the war will deploy:

• Autonomous drones
• Self-targeting missiles
• Robotic surveillance units
• AI-led decision-making centers

The US is therefore looking at AI as a “force multiplier” as there is a decline in young recruitment. Machines will fight wars, human lives will be saved – but the moral consequences are equally profound.

2. Autonomous decision-making: When machines will choose whom to kill

Agentic AI is defined as “autonomous systems without human input.” Meaning:

• These AI systems will operate without any human intervention.
• They will identify targets.
• They will execute attack plans.
• And they will make every decision based on real-time data.

Imagine – if 4 AI systems are released on a battlefield, they will decide who will attack, who will provide back-up, and who will keep watch. Even human operators will not know what, when and how they are planning.

3. LLM used in warfare – way beyond ChatGPT

The LLM we use today (such as ChatGPT) is a civilian application. But military versions of LLM:

• Develop situational awareness.
• Run battlefield simulations.
• Perform strategic prediction and threat analysis.
• Can interpret language, signals and visual data in real-time.

These AI systems become a kind of “thinking machine soldiers”.

AI-First Strategy: The Pentagon’s Digital Warfare Vision

The Pentagon launched a separate digital wing for AI in 2021:

• Office of Artificial Intelligence Integration
• Digital Modernization Strategy Division

Their mission is to:

• Automate battlefield decisions.
• Eliminate human fatigue and decision errors.
• Develop an AI-First Warfare Infrastructure.

Their long-term vision is a fully AI-driven war model where humans only observe, but only AI takes action.

Hybrid Warfare Model: A Combination of AI and Humans

Not everything is left to AI — for now. Some models are hybrid where:

• AI analyses the battlefield.
• Makes suggestions to the operator based on the situation.
• The final decision is taken by the human commander.

But as the technology is maturing, the role of human in the loop is diminishing and that of machine in command is increasing.

Global AI war race: Where do India, Russia, China stand?

While the USA has taken the lead in AI-based strategy, Russia and China are also aggressively developing AI weapon systems.

• Russia: Working on swarm drones and electronic warfare equipment.
• China: Developing AI-based surveillance and autonomous aircraft.
• India: Drone testing has begun over LAC, but growth is limited due to lack of indigenous AI platforms (e.g. Google, OpenAI).

Imbalance of technological access is a big problem. Countries like the USA will not share AI platforms in future — as they did in the case of GPS systems — making it difficult for developing countries to adopt AI warfare.

Ethical dilemma: When machines become judge, jury and executioner

AI-led warfare comes with some major **ethical dilemmas**:

1. Question of accountability

If an autonomous drone attacks a civilian area, who will be responsible?

• The developer?
• The military operator?
• Or the machine itself?

2. Conflict of religion and policy

Our history and religious teachings say – **”Don’t turn your back in war”**, but when robots are fighting the war and humans are sitting back, the tradition of valor, bravery and dignity ends.

3. Data-based targeting: The end of privacy

Facebook, Google, Microsoft have personal data of billions. When this data is used for military targeting, then:

• What about civil liberties?
• What about privacy rights?
• What about mass surveillance?

This could be a Black Mirror-type reality where our very identities become weapons.

Technology for peace or destruction?

AI is a tool that can be used for the benefit of humanity — for health, education, the environment. But when it is used in war, then:

• Trust is eroded.
• Distance from humanity increases.
• Threat expands rather than peace is built.

Conclusion: The future of war is in the hands of AI

Agentic AI is not just a technology — it is a civilizational challenge. It is changing the way of war, but also undermining ethical frameworks, global balance and spirituality.

“Technology is power — but without policy it can be destruction.”