One-third robots: Former general depicts future of US military

Former US Army General and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Mark Milley said, according to Axios earlier in July, that in the coming decade, a third of the US military will consist of machines.

These include machines powered by artificial intelligence as well as robots. 

"It'll be a fundamental change, and I would argue that other nations' militaries are going to be similarly designed," Milley added.

Indeed, he affirmed that the number of humans within the military would be reduced following such a shift.

'A decisive advantage'

"The country that optimizes those technologies for military use is going to have a very significant — and potentially decisive — advantage in an armed conflict," Milley noted, according to Axios.  

In march, the US Department of Defense issued an update on the integration of "advanced technology" in the military which saw exercises being held simulating combat alongside robotics.

Army General Randy George said at the time, "We know that machines can do a lot of things right now much more effectively and much cheaper, and we're going to have to incorporate them into our formations."

The US is one of the endorsing states of the Political Declaration on Responsible Military Use of Artificial Intelligence and Autonomy which calls, among other things, for the "responsible development, deployment, and use of AI capabilities."