Artillery and Missile Officers

Artillery and missile officers guide big guns and rockets at targets. Today, computers already handle the hard math and mapping for them, and new AI tools are adding extra help – but humans still lead. For example, the U.S. Army tested a system called Shrike that uses a drone’s video and AI to find and adjust artillery fire.

This tool dramatically cut targeting time – one report said it turns a complex calling-for-fire process into “mere seconds” ^[1] – and improved aim by about 50% in tests ^[2]. Another project (Rafael’s Fire Weaver) fuses radar, camera, and drone data into an AI-powered map so crews can see enemy and friendly positions faster ^[3]. Some countries are even experimenting with unmanned artillery vehicles in war zones ^[4].

However, experts note that no weapons are fully running on their own yet – soldiers still “pull the trigger” rather than robots ^[5]. In short, AI is helping with speed and accuracy, but human officers remain in charge.

Armies race to use AI for an edge, but adoption is careful. On the fast side, nations see how AI can save time and lives. Warfare today already uses semi-autonomous drones and sensor networks, and analysts say such tech will keep growing ^{[5] [6]}.

The U.S. military has invested hundreds of millions in AI research (for example, $200M in 2025 contracts to top tech firms) ^[6]. But many factors slow full automation. People worry about “killer robots” – one poll found almost half of Americans oppose autonomous weapons ^[6] – so governments set rules for responsible use ^[5].

Building reliable, war-ready AI is also very expensive and complex, and armies must train troops on it. In practice, new AI helps with specific tasks (like finding targets) while soldiers use their judgment in battle. This means change will be gradual, and human skills like teamwork and quick thinking stay very valuable.