Bohemia Interactive Simulations outlines AI road map

BISim is working to increase the AI capabilities of its VBS software, which is in widespread use. (Bohemia Interactive Simulations)

Bohemia Interactive Simulations (BISim) is continuing to expand its artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities and is seeking to develop a more visualisation-agnostic capability, Pete Morrison, BISim's chief commercial officer, told Janes at I/ITSEC 2023 in Orlando.

“We're focusing on AI and in particular how we can enable our customers to train for the next Ukraine,” Morrison said. He observed that unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are a “big threat or opportunity, depending on your point of view”, and suggested that Virtual Battle Space (VBS), BISim's core product, is the “perfect platform to develop offensive and defensive doctrine [for UAVs]”.

Morrison said that BISim is rebuilding its AI to provide a full constructive simulation within VBS, which will enable users to employ groups up to company level and rely on the results without the need for role players. He explained that each individual entity would act in a believable manner within the group to provide an overall result. “This is repeatable, deterministic, behaviour tree-based AI,” he said, “and the fidelity of entity level AI is getting better and better”.

The constructive simulation can be customised to suit specific doctrines, he said, adding that the AI will provide simulated support for autonomous and swarming drones.

The first iteration of this capability will be available before the end of 2023, but Morrison said the aim in 2024 is to develop the system so that the VBS constructive simulation can be run independent of VBS visualisation and can be connected to any visualisation engine, such as those from the gaming industry that are increasingly being utilised in military simulation.