On October 19, 2024, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh emphasized the importance of military leaders adapting to new challenges by leveraging breakthrough technology such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Quantum Computing. In his speech to military officers, he urged them to become strategic thinkers capable of anticipating future conflicts, understanding global dynamics, and leading with wisdom and empathy.
“Warfare to day operations in a multi-domain environment because cyber, space, and information wartime are as critical as typical operations,” emphasized Shri Rajnath Singh, highlighting the ever-changing nature of the conflict.
He emphasized that military leaders must think critically and adapt to technological breakthroughs as the dependency on tools for instance AI and autonomous systems grows.
The Defence Minister emphasized that current challenges have expanded beyond traditional battlefields, with cyberattacks, disinformation, and economic warfare posing serious hazards. He urged defense personnel to investigate how AI may change military operations while also warning about the ethical problems that come with machines making life-or-death decisions.
“Our officers must understand technologies like AI and how to effectively harness them, but we must also define the threshold of decisions AI is permitted to make,” Singh stated, emphasizing the significance of human intervention in important decision-making. He also underlined the significance of remaining attentive against adversaries that weaponize everyday equipment and technologies, stating that institutions such as the NDC must incorporate case studies of unconventional warfare to prepare for future threats.
Singh emphasized the need for continual education, asking the NDC to implement short-term, online modules to provide greater learning chances for defense personnel. He stressed the importance of academic institutions such as the NDC in providing military officials with the information they need to negotiate ethical quandaries and complicated geopolitical settings, ensuring that India’s Armed Forces stay technologically sophisticated and prepared for the future. “Our defense leaders must be prepared to integrate these advancements while adhering to a moral and ethical framework,” Singh concluded.
The occasion, which delivered MPhil degrees to officers from the 62nd NDC course, was attended by Indian military chiefs as well as friendly foreign governments. Singh welcomed the officers, emphasizing that their shared struggles would boost regional security and collaboration.