Naver Cloud has introduced a Defense Sovereign AI strategy aimed at applying and validating civilian AI technology in military operations. The strategy includes plans for enhancing autonomous weapon systems and supporting real-time decision-making based on data, while ensuring that the military retains control over data and AI models through a specialized defense cloud.
On September 18, Naver Cloud hosted the 'Defense AI Day' seminar at the Shilla Hotel in Seoul, attended by 550 representatives from the Ministry of Defense, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and various military branches.
This year, Naver Cloud has actively pursued the commercialization of its Defense AX initiative. In March, the company began promoting specialized AI technology collaboration for defense, followed by the establishment of a dedicated organization in June. They have since started applying their AI models and cloud capabilities to meet military data security and control requirements.
In his welcoming remarks at the seminar, Naver Cloud CEO Kim Yoo-won stated, "We will support problem-solving in defense operations by connecting the capabilities of the military, defense companies, startups, and research institutions."
The presentations outlined how the military can apply civilian technology to its missions while maintaining control over AI, and how to incorporate field experiences for continuous improvement.
Yoo Kyung-beom, Executive Vice President of Naver Cloud's Defense Business, emphasized the importance of establishing a comprehensive operational system rather than relying solely on individual AI models. He explained that it is crucial to connect battlefield data so that AI can utilize it effectively, and to design cloud and data centers that support the military's actual missions.
Yoo suggested that the military should first validate missions that can safely connect data and models within a closed network, utilizing civilian technological capabilities. This would involve field engineers operating the systems alongside military personnel to reflect requirements and improve performance.
Seong Nak-ho, Executive Vice President of Naver Cloud's AI Technology Division, stressed the need to design the entire force as a single intelligent network, rather than just enhancing the intelligence of individual equipment. He explained that it is essential to understand the information collected by different sensors and weapon systems as a unified battlefield situation, allowing the connected forces to operate cohesively.
To achieve this, he proposed using spatial intelligence to reconstruct image and sensor data into spatial information, along with a world model to predict the outcomes of actions. Seong noted that the world model can simulate the potential results of specific actions in advance.
To effectively utilize battlefield data in commanders' decision-making, it is necessary to understand the meaning and relationships of the data, according to Naver Cloud Director Lee So-eun. She stated, "AI is not the beginning of technology, but the final stage," emphasizing the need to connect dispersed military data through a data fabric and structure its context using defense ontology.
The data fabric technology connects necessary information without moving or duplicating existing system data. Naver Cloud aims to support real-time utilization of battlefield information from various sources while maintaining the security policies of each system.
Lee also showcased two demo videos during the seminar, simulating artillery fire and maritime anomalies. The videos illustrated how Naver Cloud connects and analyzes information from different systems into a single situation. In the artillery scenario, multiple response options and decision-making bases were presented based on drone and CCTV footage, as well as voice reports. In the maritime scenario, radar information from unidentified vessels and aircraft was combined with footage from fishing boats to analyze the situation.
Lee remarked, "AI does not make decisions on behalf of commanders but analyzes various options and risks to support their final decisions."
In the final presentation, Naver Cloud Director Park Jong-geon proposed a defense-specialized cloud as the foundation for applying the previously introduced AI technologies to military missions. He emphasized that the military must retain ultimate control over missions, data, and policies. After central AI models are trained and evaluated, they will undergo military validation and approval before being deployed to mission sites.
Park explained that even in situations where communication is limited or cut off, approved AI services and necessary data must be utilized to continue missions. Data collected from the field will be used to improve models, but any updated models will also require military validation and approval before redeployment.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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