The British Ministry of Defence plans to spend more than £1 billion (approximately $1.35 billion) on developing artificial intelligence and expanding capabilities for conducting hacker attacks, Defence Secretary John Healey said, according to The Telegraph.
Healey emphasized that the armed forces will be granted expanded powers in cyberspace to strike hostile states, noting that “the keyboard has become the new weapon of war.”
Offensive operations will be carried out through the newly established Cyber and Electromagnetic Command, which will also oversee the £1 billion investment in upgraded guidance systems using artificial intelligence and the creation of a “cyber web” to connect military systems.
According to Healey, this command structure, which will be included in the forthcoming government Strategic Defence Review (SDR), will set “new standards” in defence.
