Over the past few years, the Artificial Intelligence (AI) sector has grown exponentially, attracting investments in different domains. When it comes to defence, AI seems to be increasingly integrated into operational planning, surveillance, autonomous systems, and decision-making processes. But is it enough to spark a new revolution of military affairs? According to researchers, while AI has introduced important shifts in capabilities, it has not yet produced a full-scale revolution in the military one.

Owen J. Daniels, Policy Communications Specialist at Georgetown’s Centre for Security and Emerging Technology, argues that although AI presents transformative potential, particularly in data processing and autonomous operations, its impact remains largely evolutionary rather than revolutionary. Similarly, Colonel Joshua Glonek, in Military Review, notes that AI’s current military applications are mostly augmentative, supporting rather than replacing human decision-making, and that a true revolution would require not only technological maturity but also deep doctrinal and structural adaptation/ However, Glonek does not underestimate the importance of artificial intelligence. In fact, he believes that AI will be the factor determining military pre-eminence and highlights the importance of embracing the new technology and further develop it.

Despite the fact that a new RMA driven by AI has not yet fully materialised, AI continues to be a central focus in defence budgets of major global powers, with the US and China as leading developers. In 2018, the US Department of Defence (DoD) presented its inaugural Artificial Intelligence Strategy, emphasising the importance of AI in maintaining strategic superiority. By 2024, the DoD was overseeing more than 685 AI-related projects, many linked to major weapons systems, reflecting a substantial financial commitment to AI integration.

Starting from the Biden Administration, the US has finalised restrictions that limit US-China partnerships in AI, especially regarding chips, in order to slow down Beijing development. These have been reinforced by the Trump Administration, through its America First Investment Policy issued in February 2025. Trump also focuses on AI, aiming at expanding the sector through projects as the Stargate Initiative $500 billion deal. The project aims at securing US dominance in AI and to ‘protect the national security of America and its allies,’ and it stems from the collaboration between the equity funders SoftBank, OpenAI, Oracle, and MGX.

China also has integrated AI into its long-term military modernisation agenda, aiming to become the global leader in AI by 2030. In 2019, China issued a White Paper on national defence which stated that a Chinese-style RMA was in progress. In this case, AI has been seen as the means for the realisation of the revolution in military affairs. The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aims at pursuing intelligentised warfare, heavily investing in AI-enabled command, control, and autonomous systems. Although AI has not caused a complete revolution on its own yet, its growing use shows its potential.

Beyond the global powers, the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) are also emerging as serious AI stakeholders. Almost every GCC Country has looked to AI to diversify its economy, with UAE and Saudi Arabia leading in AI R&D investments and the development of AI-driven systems in the region.

The UAE has positioned artificial intelligence (AI) as central to its post-oil economic diversification and national security strategy. In 2017, it became the first country to appoint a Minister of State for AI and through its Strategy for Artificial Intelligence 2031 aims to transform sectors such as defence, cybersecurity, and infrastructure, with an estimated contribution to UAE’s economy of $91 billion (USD) over the next six years. With a budget of $3.54 billion (USD), Abu Dhabi has also expressed its aspiration to become the world’s first fully AI-powered government by 2027. For this, theUAE does not want to be left out of the global AI race.

AI interest from the UAE has been met with strong interest from international firms. In fact, the UAE balances partnerships with both China and the US, while leading regional AI efforts. Its prime AI company, G42, has formed major alliances, including a $1.5 billion (USD) deal with Microsoft to develop data centres and a strategic partnership with not only OpenAI, but also AMD, NVIDIA, and IBM. Furthermore, the UAE launched MGX, an AI-focused investment firm created by Mubadala, G42, and the UAE Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Technology Council, which by 2025 became a funder of the Stargate Project. That same year, the UAE pledged $1.4 trillion (USD) in US investments targeting AI and strategic technologies, while building a third supercomputer to support defence applications.

In the military sphere, the UAE is applying AI to UAVs, surveillance, threat detection, and autonomous systems. In January 2025, President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed and Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled launched new defence-industrial partnerships, particularly with France, to advance AI-based military projects.

Saudi Arabia, is also rapidly advancing its AI capabilities. As expressed in its Vision 2030 agenda. Its goal is to became a ‘global leader in the elite league of data-driven economies.’ Through the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA), Saudi Arabia has developed a National Strategy for Data and AI, which has the purpose of increasing AI’s contribution to GDP to 12% by 2030, with 4% specifically from generative AI.

Defence AI is increasingly central to these ambitions. The use and development of AI has not been spared of the military sector, in which the Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI) has made efforts to integrate AI into command and control systems, surveillance, predictive maintenance, and combat drones. While artificial intelligence has not brought to a new RMA yet, it became a focal point of defence innovation. Its integration into national strategies – from Washington to Beijing, Riyadh to Abu Dhabi—highlights not merely a distant revolution, but a present reality: AI has become a pillar of power projection and military ambition.