The German army is stepping up efforts to speed up battlefield decision-making by adopting artificial intelligence systems that can process combat data far faster than humans, according to its commander in an interview with Reuters.
Lt. Gen. Christian Freuding, who took over as army chief last October after managing Germany’s military aid to Ukraine, described what he observed during visits to Ukrainian command centers. There, the widespread use of drones and advanced sensors has dramatically increased the amount of data generated on the battlefield.
He explained that Ukrainian forces are leveraging years of collected wartime data, enabling AI systems to identify patterns in enemy behavior based on past scenarios and suggest possible responses.
Freuding noted that processes that currently take hundreds of personnel and several days could be completed much more quickly with AI support. He added that traditional approaches alone are insufficient to disrupt an opponent’s decision-making tempo.
He also highlighted the importance of training AI systems using both Ukrainian battlefield data and information from German military exercises to ensure they align with Germany’s operational doctrine.
On ethical considerations, Freuding stressed that AI would act only as a support tool, with final decisions always remaining in human hands. While no specific platform has been chosen yet, he made clear that deploying such technology is a top priority.
He further emphasized the need for compatibility with NATO’s evolving standards. Although a European-built solution remains an option, he acknowledged that U.S.-developed technologies could offer advantages due to their maturity and real-world application.
Freuding concluded by pointing to the urgency of implementation, while also noting the importance of safeguarding data sovereignty and security.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Army has already introduced an AI system called Maven, developed by Palantir, which analyzes battlefield data—including images and video—to enhance situational awareness and accelerate operational decisions.
