Report Summary: Artificial Intelligence in Command and Control
By Marcus Nuñez Seneca
The Centre for Military Studies’ report on the implementation of Artificial Intelligence in military decision support systems (AI-DSS) examines both the opportunities and challenges that arise as AI increasingly shapes the operational and strategic picture. To address conventional as well as hybrid security challenges, the report argues that Denmark must strengthen its AI competencies in close collaboration with NATO and industry partners. At the same time, it highlights legal and ethical concerns related to transparency, accountability, and the potential loss of human control that arise from the integration of AI into military decision-making.
The report is set against a backdrop in which AI is already being integrated at the operational level of command and control (C2), assuming an increasingly comprehensive role. As the authors note, “AI has evolved from a tool within the kill chain of individual weapon systems to a capability embedded in the planning and command of broader military operations” (p. 24). While AI offers an operational advantage by enhancing decision-making speed and situational awareness, the report cautions that AI-DSS also raise issues not only regarding data quality but also the way problems and solutions are framed.
Although previous military technologies have enabled forces to access, exchange, and leverage data, the report characterises the military as a “fast follower” (p. 46) relative to the AI industry, one confronted with the challenge of harnessing innovations primarily developed for civilian use. Low transparency in model operations can lead to a loss of critical control, creating difficulties not only in determining how to act on AI-generated outputs but also in assessing their validity. Even when humans remain ‘in the loop,’ the report points to recent examples where, in practice, operators risk being reduced to mere validating agents, especially as the sheer volume of information complicates efforts to scrutinise it.
In response, the report calls for mechanisms to ensure responsible data handling and highlights several initiatives designed to support responsible AI-DSS. These include efforts to strengthen military-industry cooperation and to identify AI models suitable for dual-use purposes. Alongside the adoption of new AI technologies, the report argues that training must also adapt to what the authors describe as a “qualitative shift in the tools and agents responsible for real-time strategic and operational decision-making” (p. 65).
On this basis, the report recommends that Denmark enhance its AI competencies and deepen collaboration with NATO and industry to secure both the operational benefits and the responsible use of AI. It further emphasises the importance of developing and adhering to legal and ethical frameworks to ensure responsible integration. Looking ahead, the authors conclude that AI constitutes a “vital strategic competence” (p. 67), one that underpins cohesive systems for planning, targeting, and deployment, but also demands vigilance against the erosion of human oversight and critical control.
Read the full report here.
