Ukraine pounds Russia with drones, destroys Tu-95 aircraft— What are AI-powered FPV drones? How do they work? EXPLAINED
Ukraine — in an unprecedented covert operation codenamed 'Spider Web" — allegedly overseen by President Zelensky, reportedly destroyed at least 40 Russian planes in an attack with the help of AI-powered FPV drones launched from trucks parked inside Russian territory.
AI-powered First Person View (FPV) drones are unmanned aerial vehicles enhanced with artificial intelligence to perform advanced tasks with greater precision and autonomy.
By processing real-time video data through AI algorithms, FPV drones are able to avoid obstacles, and carry out mission-specific operations such as surveillance and search and rescue.
Ukraine released the FPV drones remotely from wooden mobile houses that were transported on trucks inside Russian territory, reported Reuters, citing an official.
Russian aircraft including the Tu-95 and Tu-22 M3 long-range bombers capable of deploying conventional and nuclear weapons as well as the A-50, are reported to have been damaged after Ukraine's drone attack, added Reuters.
As the phrase 'First Person View' suggests, FPV drones offer a first-person view of the flight through a live video feed.
The drone system, developed by Ukraine's defense tech cluster Brave1, can deliver two AI-guided FPV (first-person view) strike drones with an operational range of up to 300 kilometers, reported The Kyiv Independent.
Once released, the smaller drones can autonomously locate and hit high-value targets, including aircraft, air defense systems, and critical infrastructure — all without using GPS and any human intervention.
The non-reliance on GPS for navigation, is one of the key features of the AI-powered FPV drones:
1. GPS-independent navigation: Operates without relying on satellite-based GPS, enhancing resilience against jamming or signal loss.
2. SmartPilot system: Utilises advanced visual-inertial navigation, interpreting camera data to determine position and movement.
3. LiDAR technology: LiDAR technology complements the SmartPilot system, boosting precision in complex or cluttered environments.
A single mission with this AI drone system costs around $10,000 (~ ₹ 8.5 lakh) —much less than launching a missile, which can be 300 to 500 times more expensive, mentions a report.
Ukraine's surprise drone attack on Russia comes after the latter, earlier in the day, launched a barrages of Russian missiles and drones, with air sirens lasting for more then 9 hours in Ukraine.
Ukraine's FPV drones hit airfields including the Belaya air base in Russia's Irkutsk region, more than 4,000 kilometers (2,500 miles) from Ukraine.
Russia's Defense Ministry confirmed in a Telegram statement attacks at five military airbases across the nation from the Far East and eastern Siberia to locations just several hundred miles from Moscow.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Economic Times
23 minutes ago
- Economic Times
OpenAI finds more Chinese groups using ChatGPT for malicious purposes
OpenAI is seeing an increasing number of Chinese groups using its artificial intelligence technology for covert operations, which the ChatGPT maker described in a report released Thursday. While the scope and tactics employed by these groups have expanded, the operations detected were generally small in scale and targeted limited audiences, the San Francisco-based startup said. Since ChatGPT burst onto the scene in late 2022, there have been concerns about the potential consequences of generative AI technology, which can quickly and easily produce human-like text, imagery and audio. OpenAI regularly releases reports on malicious activity it detects on its platform, such as creating and debugging malware, or generating fake content for websites and social media platforms. In one example, OpenAI banned ChatGPT accounts that generated social media posts on political and geopolitical topics relevant to China, including criticism of a Taiwan-centric video game, false accusations against a Pakistani activist, and content related to the closure of USAID. Some content also criticised US President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs, generating X posts, such as "Tariffs make imported goods outrageously expensive, yet the government splurges on overseas aid. Who's supposed to keep eating?". In another example, China-linked threat actors used AI to support various phases of their cyber operations, including open-source research, script modification, troubleshooting system configurations, and development of tools for password brute forcing and social media automation. A third example OpenAI found was a China-origin influence operation that generated polarized social media content supporting both sides of divisive topics within U.S. political discourse, including text and AI-generated profile images. China's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on OpenAI's findings. OpenAI has cemented its position as one of the world's most valuable private companies after announcing a $40 billion funding round valuing the company at $300 billion.
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
37 minutes ago
- Business Standard
OpenAI finds more Chinese groups using ChatGPT for malicious purposes
OpenAI is seeing an increasing number of Chinese groups using its artificial intelligence technology for covert operations, which the ChatGPT maker described in a report released Thursday. While the scope and tactics employed by these groups have expanded, the operations detected were generally small in scale and targeted limited audiences, the San Francisco-based startup said. Since ChatGPT burst onto the scene in late 2022, there have been concerns about the potential consequences of generative AI technology, which can quickly and easily produce human-like text, imagery and audio. OpenAI regularly releases reports on malicious activity it detects on its platform, such as creating and debugging malware, or generating fake content for websites and social media platforms. In one example, OpenAI banned ChatGPT accounts that generated social media posts on political and geopolitical topics relevant to China, including criticism of a Taiwan-centric video game, false accusations against a Pakistani activist, and content related to the closure of USAID. Some content also criticized US President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs, generating X posts, such as "Tariffs make imported goods outrageously expensive, yet the government splurges on overseas aid. Who's supposed to keep eating?". In another example, China-linked threat actors used AI to support various phases of their cyber operations, including open-source research, script modification, troubleshooting system configurations, and development of tools for password brute forcing and social media automation. A third example OpenAI found was a China-origin influence operation that generated polarized social media content supporting both sides of divisive topics within US political discourse, including text and AI-generated profile images. China's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on OpenAI's findings. OpenAI has cemented its position as one of the world's most valuable private companies after announcing a $40 billion funding round valuing the company at $300 billion.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
LinkedIn CEO to take over Office, more AI duties in Microsoft executive shuffle
The CEO of LinkedIn will take additional responsibility for Microsoft's Office products, while an executive responsible for one of the company's leading business-to-business artificial intelligence products will start reporting to head of the company's Windows unit, according to a memo from Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella viewed by Reuters. Ryan Roslansky, who oversees the business-focused social network owned by Microsoft, will remain CEO of LinkedIn but also oversee products such as Word and Excel and also "Copilot," Microsoft's leading AI product, within the company's productivity software suite, the memo said. Roslansky will report to Rajesh Jha , who oversees Microsoft Windows and Teams, among other duties. The memo said existing Office leaders Sumit Chauhan and Gaurav Sareen will report to Jha as well. Also moving to report to Jha will be Charles Lamanna, who leads "Copilot" for business and industrial users, the memo said.
