Israel develops AI-powered kamikaze drone.

Israel’s defence firm Elbit Systems unveiled a lethal autonomous drone-kamikaze powered by artificial intelligence. According to New Atlas.

According to the developers, Lanius is a nimble, fast quadcopter with AI-based reconnaissance, mapping and target-classification capabilities. If necessary it can explode.

Lanius is equipped with numerous sensors, cameras, and a Nvidia Jetson system. This enables the device to rapidly collect and process data with low power consumption.

The maximum take-off mass of Lanius is 1.25 kg, including lethal or non-lethal payloads up to 150 g.

The lithium battery provides a maximum flight time of around seven minutes.

Lanius is designed to enter an area and autonomously scan space. It can detect and mark objects such as doors and windows, enter buildings and search them.

It can also locate people and attempt to classify them as friendly or hostile, military or civilian, armed or unarmed. If a threat is detected, the device will offer the operator the option to “strike” the target.

Elbit Systems stressed that the drone cannot make autonomous decisions about neutralising targets. A human is always involved in the process.

In September, Israel deployed the AI turret on the West Bank of the Jordan River.

In October, a similar system was spotted near the Al-Arub refugee camp not far from Hebron.

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