World
Indian military ramps up AI capabilities to keep up with regional powers
CHENNAI, India — India, a country blessed with a strong high-tech industry, is applying its brains not just to commercial artificial intelligence (AI) but also to its military, as its neighbor and regional rival China continues to pour billions into AI research.
A 2023 report by an Indian think tank, the Delhi Policy Group, said India spends around $50 million a year on AI. The report noted that while India’s spending was a “good initial step,” it was “clearly inadequate compared to our primary strategic challenger, China, which is spending more than 30 times this amount. If we are not to fall behind the technology cycle, greater investments will have to be made, primarily to promote the indigenous industry players.”
Antoine Levesques, a research fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) told Fox News Digital India “is pursuing its own efforts to build a national sovereign AI capability that can be used for its defense.”
“India has very ambitious plans,” he added. He cited the need to acquire foreign-made chips to “bolster the AI hardware capacity,” noting the “abundance of talent in its tech industry already.”
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The Eastern Command of the Indian Army showcased the latest defense artillery robot during East Tech 2023 in Guwahati, Assam, India, Oct. 10, 2023. (David Talukdar/NurPhoto via AP)
In October, the military launched a robotic buddy, which was able to carry out tasks such as traverse and scout rugged terrain, remove unexploded shells and double as a stretcher for injured soldiers. It has two arms and two cameras and a platform with two additional cameras. The robot will be manually operated by a ground controller. The army may further develop this technology. The country’s navy is also believed to have autonomous aquatic robots that can go where humans cannot.
“This battery-powered platform is built to withstand rugged terrain and measures one meter by one meter,” an Indian army official told The Times of India.
The Indian Army’s elite unit, the Signals Technology Evaluation and Adaptation Group (STEAG), is researching and evaluating the implementation of emergent technologies such as AI and other potential updates in the ever-evolving arena of modern warfare.
According to an analysis by Levesques, both India and the U.S. have, and are partnering in AI.
At a meeting in 2022, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin met with his Indian counterpart, Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh, at the ninth ADMM (ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting), and AI was among the topics they discussed. Also that year, U.S. President Biden and India’s Prime Minister Modi announced a partnership known as the U.S.–India Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies.
HOW ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IS RESHAPING MODERN WARFARE
Union Defense Minister Rajnath Singh attends the Artificial Intelligence in Defense exhibition at Vigyan Bhawan July 11, 2022, in New Delhi, India. (Arvind Yadav/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)
Levesques described an abundance of talent in India’s tech industry. He also noted that India’s higher English proficiency level could give it a slight edge in “availability of talent” but said that’s “not enough to counterbalance China’s capability.”
“Adapting U.S. technology and developing your own both take time,” he added. He also noted that India is doing both of these in terms of economic and defense sectors.
Patrick Cronin, the Asia Pacific security chair at the Hudson institute in Washington, D.C., told Fox News Digital, “Generative AI (based on large language models) in particular is leading to rapid advances for understanding a common operating picture, so militaries can use this for intelligence to see what’s happening on a battlefield.”
Indian Army soldiers, CRPF and JK Police officers stand at alert as security is beefed up ahead of the fifth phase of voting in the Lok Sabha elections in Baramulla, Jammu and Kashmir, India, May 19, 2024. (Nasir Kachroo/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
AI may help gauge what overseas nations such as Pakistan and China are doing. Cronin explained that, akin to ChatGPT (also a form of generative AI), this technology can be used for providing information on real-time simulations and exercises bringing information as to what could happen.
There is potential military use in three sectors — intelligence, training and education.
Cronin warned that “China has a robot army” that possesses multiple autonomous drones in its arsenal, but he still believes that wider use of “autonomous systems” in general is “5-10 years away.”
WHAT IS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)?
In this April 12, 2018, file photo released by Xinhua News Agency, Chinese President Xi Jinping speaks after reviewing the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy fleet in the South China Sea. (Li Gang/Xinhua via AP, File)
A senior Indian defense ministry official told Deutsche Welle AI-powered drones and robots could patrol borders and reduce the need for human intervention in dangerous situations. Fox News Digital’s requests for comment from the Indian military were not immediately answered.
Cronin noted concerns, including the belief that AI, like any developing technology, could be used for many purposes, including those that are nefarious, such as the use of deepfakes to sow disinformation and other negative aspects.
Thousands of Indians and Chinese at overseas universities are studying artificial intelligence. Cronin said he felt India has had an edge in the civilian sector of AI development but that it was countered by the Chinese having a military system that’s more “centralized and well-funded.”
Indian army soldiers on top of a military vehicle crossing the Srinagar-Leh National highway on Sept. 1, 2020. (Faisal Khan/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
“When you think of facial recognition and tie that to a distant battlefield with satellite imagery and to a drone that could be lethal, this is something that you could not have done 30–40 years ago, but now it is easily done,” Cronin added.
“The outcome of war is still horrible and tragic, and it needs to be as ethical, precise, justifiable and limited as possible. India has a leading role to play potentially in the debate of the growing use of AI in the battlefield or society in general. These issues are still in the beginning stages of what could be the future laws of war and the guardrails of high-tech civilization.”
India’s military continues to further its ambition and research in the field of AI as it seeks to level the playing field with China.
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Protesters on Sunday set a Tesla vehicle on fire and smashed windows at a United Nations agency in Geneva as they marched against a Group of Seven summit set to kick off across the border in France, prompting police to fire tear gas.
Around 20,000 people gathered for a march that was initially peaceful before some protesters later damaged what they described as symbols of capitalism and multilateralism, including the parked Tesla and the UN agency.
Demonstrators grabbed bricks from the ground to throw at police, as tear gas was deployed in Geneva’s streets, witnesses told Reuters.
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A Tesla car burns during a protest against the upcoming G7 summit in Évian-les-Bains, in France, in Geneva, Switzerland, June 14, 2026. (REUTERS/Denis Balibouse)
There have been previous protests at G7 gatherings over the years, with many demonstrators using the summits to speak out against capitalism, globalization, climate change and inequality.
Demonstrators in the latest protest said they were marching against the G7 as a symbol of concentrated political and economic power.
This comes after Tesla owner Elon Musk became the world’s first trillionaire last week.
“To me, it’s a meeting of the rich that shows once again how the rich can become even richer while the poor are left behind,” protestor Pippa Saugy told Reuters.
People hold a protest against the upcoming G7 summit in Évian-les-Bains in France, in Geneva, Switzerland, June 14, 2026. (REUTERS/Umit Bektas)
The G7 summit, scheduled to take place from Monday to Wednesday in Évian-les-Bains, on the shore of Lake Geneva, will feature the leaders of France, Britain, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan and the U.S., as well as the European Union.
The conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine are expected to dominate the agenda. Leaders will likely attempt to avoid a clash with U.S. President Donald Trump after he announced a tentative agreement aimed at ending the U.S. and Israeli war against Iran.
Businesses in Geneva were boarded up and hundreds of riot police were deployed in the streets over concerns about violence.
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People attend a protest against the upcoming G7 summit in Évian-les-Bains in France, in Geneva, Switzerland, June 14, 2026. (REUTERS/Umit Bektas)
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“This is an attempt to frighten demonstrators, to frighten people and discourage them from coming out to protest,” protester Mattia Piccard told Reuters.
Another demonstrator said she wanted to raise the issue of gender inequality during the march against the G7.
“The values represented by the G7 are completely misogynistic, and they contribute to inequality,” Clélia Colin told the outlet.
Reuters contributed to this report.
Published on
At least 58 states and territories are contaminated by anti-personnel mines, the UN rights chief said on Tuesday, with heavy civilian casualties in Myanmar, Syria, Afghanistan and Ukraine.
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“It is deeply troubling that almost 30 years since the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Treaty was adopted, these explosive weapons continue to kill and injure people, often decades after they were placed,” Volker Türk said in a statement.
“It is essential that all states recommit to putting an end to the production, use and transfer of these weapons and redouble their efforts to cooperate in clearing mines already placed.”
Türk produced a report on the situation, drawing on information from governments, NGOs, humanitarian organisations and civil society.
At least 945 people were killed and 4,325 injured by landmines and explosive remnants of war in 2024 alone, it said, citing the Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor.
“Among victims where the status as military or civilian was known, civilians made up approximately 90% of all recorded casualties in 2024,” the report said.
The states with the highest number of casualties in 2024 were Myanmar with 2,029, Syria with 1,015, then Afghanistan with 624, followed by Ukraine, Nigeria, Mali, Yemen and Burkina Faso, which each recorded more than 200 casualties.
In a separate statement, the International Campaign to Ban Landmines said mines and explosive remnants of war, including cluster munitions, killed or injured more than 5,000 people in 2025, again with the vast majority being civilians.
Türk’s office noted that children make up more than 40% of all civilian casualties of anti-personnel mines recorded since 1999.
Besides killing and maiming, anti-personnel mines turn areas into no-go zones, Türk’s office said, hampering rights, prolonging displacement and stopping land from being used for agriculture.
While the Ottawa mine ban convention has 162 states parties, Türk noted that other countries with considerable stockpiles are not yet members.
Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland recently withdrew and Ukraine is suspending its implementation.
“States that have not yet ratified the treaty should promptly do so and those that have withdrawn should quickly rejoin,” said Türk.
He hailed Lebanon’s recent decision to join the Ottawa convention, despite the war between Israel and Hezbollah.
Türk’s report said that in the seven years to 2025, contributions to the UN Voluntary Trust Fund for Assistance in Mine Action sharply decreased from $125 million to $46 million (€107 million to €39 million).
Additional sources • AFP
World
Studiocanal Reveals Sales on Multiple Cannes Market Titles, Including ‘The Midnight Library,’ ‘Words of Love,’ ‘Another Day’
Studiocanal has revealed that it has closed sales on multiple films that either premiered at the Cannes Film Festival or are on its development and production slate, including “The Midnight Library.” The company also said it is negotiating presales on the new Paddington animated film.
“The Midnight Library,” starring and produced by Academy Award nominee Florence Pugh, emerged as one of the hottest titles at this year’s Cannes Film Market. After a competitive bidding war between studios, the film sold to Paramount Pictures for North America and numerous foreign territories.
Beyond Paramount’s territories, “The Midnight Library” will be distributed by Scanbox in Scandinavia, Sun Africa Group/MultiChoice in South Africa, and Filmcoopi in Switzerland. Studiocanal will release the film across its territory footprint, including the U.K., France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Benelux, Australia and New Zealand.
Studiocanal also closed deals for Rudi Rosenberg’s Un Certain Regard film “Words of Love,” Volker Schlöndorff’s “Visitation,” Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s “Violette,” Jeanne Herry’s Cannes competition selection “Another Day,” Simon Stone’s “Elsinore,” Jonathan Schey’s “Everybody Wants to F*ck Me,” Danny Boyle’s “Ink” and Fred Cavayé’s “Les Misérables.” Studiocanal will release the films in its territories.
Sales for the films are as follows:
“Elsinore”
Anuvu for airlines, MCF for Ex-Yugoslavia and Bulgaria, Spentzos for Greece, ADS for Hungary, Lev for Israel, Lusomundo for Portugal, Scanbox for Scandinavia, Sun Africa Group/MultiChoice for South Africa, Filmcoopi for Switzerland, and Bir Film for Turkey. It will be released in the U.S. in 2027 by LD Entertainment.
“Everybody Wants to F*Ck Me”
ACME for the Baltics, Prorom for Eastern Europe, Blitz for Ex-Yugoslavia, Myndform for Iceland, Lionsgate for India, Lev for Israel, Imagem for Latin America, Mongol Films for Mongolia, Lusomundo for Portugal, Scanbox for Scandinavia, Sun Africa Group/MultiChoice for South Africa, KTH for South Korea, Filmcoopi for Switzerland, Catchplay for Taiwan, and Svoe Kino for Ukraine.
“Ink”
Echolake for airlines, Cinelibri for Bulgaria, VVS for Canada, AQS for Czech Republic and Slovakia, Karantanja for Ex-Yugoslavia, Spentzos for Greece, Cinetel for Hungary, Myndform for Iceland, MVP for India, Shoval for Israel, Mongol Films for Mongolia, Lusomundo for Portugal, Independenta for Romania, Scanbox for Scandinavia, Sun Africa Group/MultiChoice for South Africa, NK Content for South Korea, Wanda for Spain, Ascot Elite for Switzerland, Fabula Films for Turkey, and UFD for Ukraine.
“Les Miserables”
Skeye for airlines, ACME for the Baltics, Cinelibri for Bulgaria, TVA for Canada, AQS for Czech Republic and Slovakia, Karantanja for Ex-Yugoslavia, Pathé Touch for French-speaking Africa, Spentzos for Greece, ADS for Hungary, Synapse for Latin America, GSC for Malaysia, Italia for the Middle East, Lusomundo for Portugal, Independenta for Romania, Shaw for Singapore, Scene & Sound for South Korea, Beta Fiction for Spain, DCM for Switzerland, Bir Film for Turkey, and Ad Astra for Ukraine.
“Words of Love”
Cineart for Benelux, Beta for Bulgaria, Immina for Canada, Pandora for Germany and Austria, Danaos for Greece, New Cinema for Israel, Teodora for Italy, Angel Films for Scandinavia, Atalante for Spain, Frenetic for Switzerland, and Mars for Turkey.
“Visitation”
Moving Story for Australia and New Zealand, Artifilm for Benelux, Beta for Bulgaria, Karantanija for Ex-Yugoslavia, Spentzos for Greece, Lev for Israel, Cetera for Japan, Alambique for Portugal, Scanbox for Scandinavia, A Contracorriente for Spain, and Filmcoopi for Switzerland.
“Violette”
Skeye for airlines, ACME for the Baltics, Cinelibri for Bulgaria, VVS for Canada, Blue Media for China, MCF for Ex-Yugoslavia, Spentzos for Greece, Vertigo for Hungary, Lev for Israel, Lucky Red for Italy, Lusomundo for Portugal, Bad Unicorn for Romania, Scanbox for Scandinavia, Shaw for Singapore, Beta Fiction for Spain, Frenetic for Switzerland, Bir for Turkey, and Arthouse for Ukraine.
“Another Day”
MCF for Ex-Yugoslavia and Bulgaria, Spentzos for Greece, Europictures for Italy, Scanbox for Scandinavia, Shaw for Singapore, Frenetic for Switzerland, Lusomundo for Portugal, and Mars for Turkey.
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