UK allows defence companies to use Ukrainian data for AI drones
The UK government has given British companies access to Ukrainian battlefield data to develop artificial intelligence for drone swarms.
Reuters reports.
The agreement provides access to a database of images and videos collected by drones in Ukraine.
The dataset contains more than six million recorded detections of objects, including tanks, artillery, air defence systems, infantry and aerial targets.
Drone swarms can operate autonomously on land, in water and in the air. They use artificial intelligence (AI) to coordinate, identify threats and make decisions, while humans retain ultimate control.
The UK defence minister said access to real battlefield data would push the boundaries of defence innovation and strengthen security.
Conditions for companies and project requirements
Up to 12 British companies will initially be given access. They must submit proposals that meet the defence requirements of both countries.
The UK government is seeking projects involving autonomous target recognition and distributed decision-making systems, in which drones can adapt their routes and behaviour without a single control centre.
Previously, maritime security company BlueShadow, which operates in Copenhagen and Kyiv, signed a letter of intent with investment fund Resist.UA. The company plans to raise €2 million in a pre-seed funding round.
Defence company Wild Hornets also delivered 200 interceptor drones worth UAH 17.6 million to Ukraine’s Defence Forces as part of its "150%" fundraiser. This represents 10% of the fundraiser’s total of UAH 174 million.
As reported, US-Ukrainian company Swarmer announced a definitive agreement to acquire Ukrainian unmanned ground vehicle manufacturer Ratel Robotics. The deal could be worth up to $224 million if all specified targets are met, with payment consisting of cash and shares.
