By Futurist Thomas Frey
The Question Ukraine Forces Us to Ask
Ukraine is running out of soldiers. After nearly three years of brutal attrition warfare, mobilization becomes increasingly difficult, casualties mount, and the demographic crisis deepens. Meanwhile, both sides deploy thousands of drones daily—kamikaze FPV drones, reconnaissance quadcopters, loitering munitions, autonomous swarms.
This forces an uncomfortable question: could you fight a war today with zero soldiers? Not someday with advanced AI—now, with existing drone technology, autonomous systems, and remote operation. What would an all-drone army look like? How long to gear up? How would battlefields change? And most importantly: is this better or worse for humanity in the long run?
Let me walk you through what soldierless warfare actually looks like and why we might be closer to it than anyone’s comfortable admitting.
Continue reading… “The Soldierless War: The Armies of the Future”