Mission Command and Artificial Intelligence

Abstract One approach to military leadership is the philosophy of mission command. Mission command is supported by several principles and all of them are essential, without those it cannot be fully applied. These principles are the mutual trust between participants, the understanding, the clearly articulated intent of the superior, the decentralized execution and the timely-made decisions. As the Artificial Intelligence is progresssing and gaining ground it will influence the entirity of the military command and control process: new decision situations will arise and the human-machine cooperation may create new relationships. This paper scrutinizes whether the identified principles of mission command can be applied in the same way in the Artificial Intelligence-infused operational environment as it can be among traditional circumstances.