NATO Lags Behind Russia in AI Development – Bloomberg.

Former NATO Supreme Allied Commander, Admiral James Stavridis, expressed serious concerns about the Alliance's readiness to meet challenges in cyberspace and artificial intelligence.

In his article for Bloomberg, Stavridis noted the potential of NATO's new Secretary General, Mark Rutte, former Prime Minister of the Netherlands. He described Rutte as an unassuming, organized, and experienced politician capable of handling the challenges facing the Alliance. However, the Admiral emphasized the need for NATO to step up its efforts in the field of cybersecurity and AI.

«The Russian government and its hacker partners are bolstering their malicious cyberfront, conducting constant direct attacks against Ukraine, the Baltic countries, and many Eastern European nations. President Vladimir Putin knows that his country cannot defeat NATO by military force alone – the collective defense budget of the Alliance members is roughly 10 times that of the Russian Federation – and he will likely initiate cyberattacks directly against the Alliance», – noted Stavridis.

The Admiral emphasized that Russia actively uses cyberattacks and disinformation to undermine the cohesion of the Alliance and support for Ukraine. He cited the example of an American disinformation expert who, while living in Moscow, used AI to create dozens of websites aimed at undermining NATO's unity.

«Over Time, AI will become a powerful tool on the battlefield – from creating avatars that can advise commanders on tactics and strategy to weapon systems that combine unmanned surveillance and attack platforms on land, sea, and air. Learning machines will also significantly improve the war «back office», especially in maintenance and logistics – the true keys to effective military operations. NATO is not moving fast enough to outpace Russia, which is learning quickly in real conflict conditions, while NATO is limited to trials and hypothetical considerations», – believes Stavridis.

Stavridis emphasized that cyber warfare and AI are interrelated threats, and Russia actively uses both tools. He called on NATO to accelerate its efforts in these areas to keep pace with Russia and ensure effective collective defense.