Anduril's New Drone Killer Uses AI for Autonomous Warfare

Anduril, a defense contractor, recently unveiled Roadrunner, an innovative jet-powered drone designed for autonomous targeting and interception of enemy drones. Roadrunner is built to counter cheap suicide drones that have been deployed effectively in the conflict between Ukraine and Russia.

Roadrunner can vertically take off and land, fly at high speeds, and loiter while searching for targets. Although the drone operates with a high degree of autonomy, human operators are still required to decide to use lethal force. According to Christian Brose, Anduril's chief strategy officer, "Our driving belief is that there has to be human agency for identifying and classifying a threat, and there has to be human accountability for any action that gets taken against that threat."

The war in Ukraine and the rise of AI and drones have prompted militaries around the world to invest in new technologies and strategies. The U.S. has launched new initiatives to develop autonomous systems at large scale to counter China's conventional military advantage. While countries race to adopt advanced technologies like AI, there are concerns about the destabilizing effects of autonomous weapons. 30 nations issued a declaration calling for "guardrails" on military AI to avoid unintended escalation of conflicts.

Samuel Bendett, an expert on military drones, says Roadrunner could be used in Ukraine to intercept Iranian-made Shahed drones, which Russian forces have used to target stationary Ukrainian targets. Bendett notes, "There is a lot of experimentation taking place in Ukraine on both sides. And I'm assuming that a lot of U.S. military innovations are going to be built with Ukraine in mind."