Even as the Indian armed forces are well aware of the “transformative” power of artificial intelligence (AI) and are working towards incorporating it in their decision support systems and some other functions, India must take a responsible path in adopting AI-enabled systems in this domain by institutionalising human oversight and control, and putting AI-enabled systems through rigorous testing similar to other critical weapon systems, according to Deputy Chief of the Army Staff (Information Systems and Training) Lieutenant General Vipul Shinghal.
Addressing a session at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in the Capital, he also emphasised that India could lead the world in responsible use of AI in military conflicts, and expressed hope that like various other successful international conventions relating to weapons and conflict, regulation of use of AI for military purposes will be achieved.
“The question is never as to whether we should adopt AI-enabled systems, but how? And we are clear that this transition must be undertaken responsibly. So, what does responsible and effective approach look like? Firstly, we must institutionalise human control not as a slogan but as law. This requires clearly defining which functions may be assisted by AI, which may be recommended by AI and which may always remain human decisions. Secondly…AI enabled systems need to be treated as a weapon system and be tested accordingly,” he said.
According to Lt Gen Shinghal, the battlefield is the most chaotic data environment and AI systems “trained on clear satellite images in a computer lab” could fail when they come across real battlefield images, which could lead to a wrong decision with potentially catastrophic implications. “Are we subjecting AI enabled systems to the same rigor that we subject new weapon systems to—trial evaluating them, fielding them in contested conditions and then applying them? After all, an AI-enabled system is not a software, it’s a weapon,” he said.
Underscoring the need to give primacy to human control and judgement over AI-enabled systems in military operations, Lt Gen Shinghal said that while AI can inform decisions, only humans can exercise judgment and bear responsibility for them. With AI systems armed with unprecedented speed, scale, and efficiency, what deserves deeper reflection is the “new burdens AI places on leadership, command, responsibility, and strategic stability”, he added.
Lt Gen Shinghal also emphasised that since “moral responsibility remains with the commander”, military leadership development must evolve so that commanders “who are now going to be interrogating systems, interacting with systems and taking decision on them” are aware of the possible pitfalls and challenges of AI-enabled systems, and how best to use such systems effectively and efficiently.
“Are we preparing our commanders and staff to lead in a world where machines can recommend, predict, and act faster than humans without allowing speed to substitute judgment? Command and control by commanders will exercise life and death decisions; can then be given to machines? If a machine recommends a strike with 90% accuracy and the commander takes a decision and it’s the wrong decision, it gives him a moral buffer to say that it was a machine that recommended it. But is that correct? These are questions that we need to answer,” he said.
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Having said that, Lt Gen Shinghal stressed that the Indian Army and the Indian armed forces “are fully cognisant of the transformative power of AI to increase our official efficiency”. “We are making every effort to ensure that AI is incorporated into our decision support systems, into our surveillance recce and the other functions. We are actively working with industry leaders, startups and academic institutions to harness AI for military applications drawing strength from India’s vibrant innovation ecosystem and our own growing band of uniformed innovators,” he said.
According to him, the Indian ethos that “shakti (power) must go hand in hand with dharma or righteousness” gives India both the capability and the credibility to lead the world in using AI “responsibly in conflict”. “India today stands at the cusp of three powerful realities: we are a major military power, we are a rapidly growing AI country or AI ecosystem, and we are a civilization that has long understood that power must be governed by restraint,” he said.
Moreover, Lt Gen Shinghal expressed confidence that international regulations for the military use of AI will eventually be established, drawing on the “wisdom of humanity” and historical precedents. He noted that the international community has successfully developed frameworks for other complex crises, such as the rules governing NBC (nuclear, biological, and chemical) weapons, landmines, and the Geneva Convention regarding the conduct with prisoners of war. He said that AI, as the “new looming technology on the forefront”, would similarly find its own “ways and means to be regulated”.