Infantry

Infantry soldiers carry out many complex tasks – firing rifles and mortars, building defensive positions, scouting terrain and more ^[1] – and most of this is still done by people. Today’s robots and AI mostly handle support jobs that are very dangerous or boring. For example, Ukrainian infantry use small remote-controlled “robots on wheels” to carry ammo and evacuate wounded troops ^[2].

In the U.S., engineers are testing self-driving supply trucks (like the Overland “Ultra”) that can haul gear and even launch drones to help soldiers ^[3]. Experimental “robot dogs” and swarms of drones also assist troops by scouting ahead or acting as decoys ^{[3] [2]}. These tools make missions safer, but commanders stress they only assist, not replace humans – a Ukrainian officer noted a robot “cannot fully replace people” ^[2].

In short, infantry training like judgment, teamwork and courage are still done by humans, with AI helping in the background.

Several factors affect how fast armies add AI tools. One big driver is safety: leaders want to keep soldiers out of harm’s way. U.S. analysts even talk about wanting “spilled oil, not blood” on the battlefield ^[3].

Ukraine has adopted robots because it is short on troops and needs every advantage ^[2]. On the other hand, developing reliable military AI is costly and slow ^[3]. There are also strict rules and fears.

Experts warn about fully autonomous weapons (“killer robots”) and insist on keeping humans in the loop ^[3]. Because of this, most AI is used to help infantry rather than replace them. For example, one soldier might control a swarm of drones or an unmanned vehicle, but the human still makes the final decisions ^{[2] [3]}.

In summary, AI can take over some hard or risky tasks, but infantry soldiers’ unique skills – decision-making, empathy and leadership – remain essential.