Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Armed Forces: Technological Capabilities

Monday 15 November 2021 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The Department of Defence will invest at least 6.6 billion in research and development over the next four years in areas such as space, directed energy weapons, and artificial intelligence.
  • A defence AI strategy is being produced to ensure an ethical and moral approach to the deployment of artificial intelligence in defence.
  • Work on the defence AI strategy is ongoing, and it will be published in due course.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Stuart Anderson Con South Shropshire
Defence Science & Technology
Context

The question arises from the need to modernize and enhance military technology in response to evolving global security challenges.

Question

What steps his Department is taking to improve the technological capabilities of the armed forces. The questioner seeks specific details on investments in research and development, particularly in cutting-edge technologies such as space, directed energy weapons, and artificial intelligence.

Answer from Jeremy Quin

Defence will invest at least £6.6 billion in research and development over the next four years in areas including space, directed energy weapons, and artificial intelligence. This will help to secure our military edge by ensuring that we can adopt modern technologies at scale and produce game-changing advantage.

Answered
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Q2 Stuart Anderson Con South Shropshire
Defence Science & Technology Standards & Ethics
Context

The rise of artificial intelligence in military applications necessitates a transparent ethical framework.

Question

With the significant rise in AI being used in defence, what steps are being taken to ensure that there is transparency of calculations that show both an ethical and moral approach to defence? The questioner seeks assurance on how AI deployment will be ethically managed.

Answer from Jeremy Quin

My hon. Friend asks a very good question that needs to be addressed. I am pleased to confirm that we are producing a defence AI strategy that will cover how we will get an operational advantage. That work is ongoing and it will be published in due course.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Publication timeline for the defence AI strategy

How: Under Review, Ongoing

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