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IAF Must Shift from Automation to Trusted AI Autonomy, Says AVM Ajay Kunnath

Air Vice Marshal Ajay Kunnath has stated the Indian Air Force must transition from automated systems to trusted AI autonomy for its operations. He emphasized that air operations are a "zero-error" environment, making trust and failsafe capabilities paramount in new probabilistic AI models. Kunnath described the evolution of human roles from being in the loop to potentially out of the loop as autonomy advances. He also highlighted key challenges, noting AI solutions are not transferable between domains and that closing the final 5% accuracy gap is crucial for security.

Key Points: IAF's AI Shift: From Automation to Trusted Autonomy

  • Shift from deterministic to probabilistic AI models
  • Trust is mandatory for zero-error air operations
  • Evolution from human-in-the-loop to human-out-of-the-loop
  • AI solutions are domain-specific and cannot be copied
  • Closing the last 5% accuracy gap is the critical challenge
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IAF must move from automation to trusted AI autonomy, says AVM Ajay Kunnath

Air Vice Marshal Ajay Kunnath outlines the IAF's critical move towards probabilistic, trust-based AI systems for zero-error air operations.

"We are in a domain which is sort of zero error. So we need to now have probabilistic solutions which take us to that trust and failsafe operations. - Air Vice Marshal Ajay Kunnath"

New Delhi, February 17

Air Vice Marshal Ajay Kunnath on Tuesday said that the Indian Air Force should shift how it uses technology for air operations, highlighting the importance of how such operations function in a "zero-error" environment.

Speaking with ANI on the sidelines of the AI Impact Summit, he explained that the force is moving away from fixed systems toward AI-based models. "We are in a deterministic area at this point. We have to get into a probabilistic domain," he said.

Because air operations function in a near "zero-error" environment, he stressed that trust is essential. "The type of domain that we talk about, like air operations specifically, actually mandates trust. And that is implicit. We are in a domain which is sort of zero error. So we need to now have probabilistic solutions which take us to that trust and failsafe operations."

Summing up the goal, he said, "If you really want me to sum it up, it is trust, failsafe, moving from automation to autonomy."

He also described how human involvement changes as AI systems advance. "We gravitate from human in the loop, where he becomes a decision maker, to human on the loop, where he uses it to his advantage, and finally autonomy, where it goes human out of the loop. You have to decide which area you are into and which facet of the human you want to use -- in, on or out."

He warned that AI solutions cannot simply be copied from one field to another. "You can't take one particular scenario and think that it can replicate or manifest itself in the other domain," he said.

Finally, he pointed out a key challenge with AI accuracy. "Your probabilistic takes you to 95 per cent. But the fact remains that it is the last five percentile that actually determines a leaker who can come in," he said, adding that better models and higher-quality data will be needed to close that gap.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
The transition from 'human in the loop' to 'human on the loop' is fascinating. It shows we're not removing the human element, but elevating it. The pilot becomes a strategist rather than just an operator. Hope our training academies are preparing for this future.
R
Rohit P
Trust is the keyword. We've seen tech fail in other sectors, but in the IAF, failure is not an option. Building that trust in AI will take time and rigorous testing. Proud to see our forces thinking so strategically about the future.
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Aman W
While the vision is good, I have a respectful criticism. Moving to 'human out of the loop' autonomy in weapon systems is a massive ethical and strategic leap. We need a very strong public and parliamentary debate on the rules of engagement before we go that far. The tech is advancing faster than our policy.
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Sarah B
The point about not copying AI solutions from one domain to another is so important. A model for weather prediction or commercial aviation won't cut it for combat. It has to be purpose-built for the IAF's unique challenges. Requires deep collaboration between our armed forces and our tech institutes.
K
Karthik V
This is where Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat in tech truly matters. We cannot rely on foreign black-box AI for our defense. The algorithms, the data processing, everything needs to be homegrown and secure. A great challenge for our DRDO and private sector.

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