--- title: "US Military Tests AI-Powered Machine Gun" description: "A US Defense Department contractor has developed an AI-powered autonomous robotic machine gun system, which can target small drones." date: "2024-11-17" modified: "2024-11-17" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/us-military-tests-ai-powered-machine-gun" categories: - "Military" - "Science & Energy" tags: - "artificial inteligence" - "department of defense" - "the digest" --- # US Military Tests AI-Powered Machine Gun ![A US Defense Department contractor has developed an AI-powered autonomous robotic machine gun system, which can target small drones.]() *\Image: Allen Control Systems\* ## Gun Bots US Defense Department contractor Allen Control Systems (ACS) has developed an artificial intelligence-powered autonomous robotic gun system called the "Bullfrog," which can target small drones using proprietary computer vision software. As [*Wired* reports](), the Defense Department tested out the system during the Technology Readiness Experimentation event earlier this year, which allows contractors like ACS to showcase their prototype technologies to the Pentagon. Recent [footage]() shows the vehicle-mounted gun shooting small drones out of the sky with ease. And that kind of capability is more relevant than ever as small, uncrewed aircraft are becoming increasingly common on the battlefield. "During the Russian invasion of Ukraine, we saw the proliferation of drones on both sides of the conflict, and we read in various news outlets the Ukrainians were firing AK-47s in the air at them," ACS cofounder and CEO Steve Simoni told *Wired*. "We thought, ‘That’s a good robotics problem.’ It's hard to hit something flying so fast, but a robot can do that with modern-day computer vision and AI control algorithms." ## Computer Kill According to Simoni, the goal was to remove humans from the equation entirely, particularly considering how fast these uncrewed drones can fly. "We are electrical engineers, and we decided that in order to solve this problem of hitting a fast drone that's accelerating at five Gs at a couple hundred yards, you would need an incredibly high-end current that goes through a motor and encoders that know the position of your gun at all times," he told *Wired*. "To put that form factor in the hands of someone with an M4 seemed like a very tough problem." ACS' Bullfrog system is part of a much larger trend. The US military is dabbling in a whole range of remotely controlled and semi-autonomous weapons systems to shoot adversary drones out of the sky. Earlier this year, for instance, the US Army [started experimenting]() with [rifle-equipped robot dogs]() at a testing facility in the Middle East. The contractor claims the Bullfrog is incredibly cheap to use, especially compared to far more complicated and expensive laser or microwave weapons systems. So far, humans are still required to give the Bullfrog the green light before it can open fire. That's because there are strict policies when it comes to the use of lethal autonomous weapons. However, ACS is keen to reassure the military that it's technically capable of fully autonomous operation. "Our system is fully autonomous-capable, we’re just waiting for the government to determine its needs," ACS’s chief strategy officer Brice Cooper told *Wired*. But when or if those needs will change remains to be seen. Plenty of thorny ethical questions remain surrounding the use of such autonomous weapons. "Anything with robotics requires software to make the determination of friend or foe, and that's a concern with anything that's automated," former congressional defense appropriator Mike Clementi told *Wired*. "The use of fully automated systems would be “uncharted territory. There's always been a person in the loop before." **More on AI and guns:** *[The US Army Is Testing Killer Robot Dogs With AI]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()