The GhostPlay platform uses “third-wave” AI systems that make decisions that seem “human-like.”
Germany has put a lot of money into an artificial intelligence (AI) virtual training area that some people call a military “metaverse.” Officials say this will help them figure out how to fight in the future.
GhostPlay project head Gary Schaal, a professor at Helmut Schmidt University in Hamburg, said in a news statement, “We compete with the big ones in the industry.” “Our unique Selling point is that we can move quickly and show results quickly.”
To create the virtual battlefield GhostPlay, developer 21strategies brought together a group of defense experts and start-ups. This lets developers try out different weapons and systems in a risk-free environment.
Defense News said that the German Defense Ministry paid for the project as part of a 500 million euro ($540 million) spending plan called COVID-19. The plan was meant to help the country’s high-tech defense business get back on its feet.
On the GhostPlay website, the tool is called a “simulation environment with AI-based decision-making at machine speed.”
“Complex military battle scenarios can be simulated to find new, better ways to act,” the company wrote. “As a result, flexibility and superiority can be achieved on the strategic, tactical, and operational levels.”
The creators said that the models can create “unpredictable” situations that make testing and planning for the military more detailed and thorough.
One of the things that makes this program stand out is that it uses “third-wave” algorithms, which, according to 21strategies CEO Yvonne Hofstetter, make the virtual units make more “human-like” decisions.
She said that the second-wave algorithms just improve or speed up the decision-making process, but that the third-wave algorithms will help make new situations and decide on new moves.
Hofstetter says that the platform also tries to recreate environments “down to the last leaf.” It does this by putting together satellite pictures and local files about everything from houses to plants.
“There is enough information… it’s kind of scary, really,” Hofstetter said.
The most interesting thing the platform has done recently is look into how to improve swarm tactics, especially lingering weapons. The Office of Army Development has worked with the tool because it can make thorough simulations of the locations where the weapons would be used.
Hensoldt, a multinational company that helps fund the GhostPlay platform, said in a press release, “To best enable highly complex defense systems, we need to master artificial intelligence in its entirety. To do this, we develop a lot of AI skills in-house and add to them in a very targeted way.”