German military invests heavily in AI-enhanced testing environment for weapons

German officials have made substantial investments in what they are touting as a groundbreaking artificial intelligence (AI) virtual training arena, often referred to as a military "metaverse," aimed at shaping the future of combat.

GhostPlay project manager Gary Schaal, who is also a professor at Helmut Schmidt University in Hamburg, emphasized their competitiveness within the industry, highlighting their unique selling point: agility and the ability to rapidly demonstrate tangible results.

Developer 21strategies brought together a consortium of startups and defense experts to create GhostPlay, a virtual battlefield that enables developers to experiment with various weapons and systems within a risk-free environment.

The German Defense Ministry provided funding for the project as part of a 500 million euros ($540 million) COVID-19 relief package intended to bolster the nation's high-tech defense sector, as reported by Defense News. The GhostPlay platform is described on its website as an "AI-based decision-making simulation environment operating at machine speed."

The platform's capabilities are described as allowing for the development of innovative and superior courses of action through the simulation of complex military scenarios, thereby enhancing flexibility and strategic advantage at various operational levels.

These simulations can introduce "unpredictable" conditions to enhance the depth and thoroughness of military planning and testing, according to the developers. A key distinguishing feature is the use of "third-wave" algorithms, which, according to 21strategies CEO Yvonne Hofstetter, facilitate more "human-like" decision-making by simulated units. While second-wave algorithms primarily optimize or expedite decision-making, third-wave algorithms generate novel situations and determine innovative actions.

GhostPlay's commitment to realism extends to recreating environments "down to the last leaf." This is achieved by aggregating satellite imagery and local databases covering everything from housing to vegetation. Yvonne Hofstetter noted, "There is enough info ... kind of scary, really."

One of GhostPlay's most promising recent exercises involves optimizing swarm tactics, particularly for loitering munitions. The Office of Army Development has collaborated with the platform because of its ability to recreate highly detailed environments for munition deployment.

Hensoldt, a multinational company providing financial support to GhostPlay, emphasized the need to master artificial intelligence across its full spectrum to enable highly complex defense systems. They mentioned that they are developing a wide range of AI capabilities in-house and strategically supplementing them for optimal results.