Studies on using artificial intelligence in a military context often focus on either technical aspects or legal and ethical perspectives. There is, however, a gap in the current academic AI debate regarding one of the key components in all military operations: The officers in charge.
This study aims to analyze how Swedish officers think and perceive the introduction of AI in decision-making in a military context. How do they reason, in favor or against the use of AI on the battlefield?
A novel method within war science, the vignette survey, will be used to analyze how human-AI relationships are affected by an increased level of risk of loss of human life in three different vignettes. The findings in this study describe that officers trust AI to be used in military operations, regardless of the complexity or risk of the operation. As long as a human is in command.