Tech Explainer: Computer Vision

What It Is

Think of computer vision (CV)  as giving computers and machines the ability to "see" and understand what they're looking at, much like how humans use their eyes. Just as we humans can look at a picture and instantly recognize people, objects, or situations, CV helps machines do the same thing.

Imagine having a really smart security camera. Instead of just recording a video like traditional cameras, these systems can actually understand what they're seeing. They can tell the difference between a person and an animal, recognize when something unusual is happening, and even work in the dark or bad weather.

Here's an example: When you look at a dog, your brain instantly recognizes it as a dog because you've seen a lot of dogs before. Computer vision works in the same way. These systems are trained by being shown millions of images and after seeing enough examples the system learns to recognize patterns and can identify what it's looking at, just like your brain does.

Modern computer vision can do much more than just recognize objects. It can:

• Track movement

• Measure distances

• Read text

• Detect changes in scenes

• Work with different types of cameras (including night vision)

• Understand when something doesn't look right

Why It's Important

CV is revolutionizing security and safety in ways that extend far beyond just target identification. Imagine if you had to watch hundreds of security cameras at once for an entire day without pause. No bathroom breaks. It would be an impossible task for any human. On the other hand, CV systems can monitor all of those cameras 24 hours a day, seven days a week, without ever getting tired or distracted (or needing to use the bathroom). When something concerning happens, like an unauthorized person entering a restricted area, the system would instantly alert security of the intrusion.

In everyday military operations, CV can handle some tasks that may not be as obvious as target identification and site security. Consider the routine inspection of aircraft parts - a task that is incredibly important for the safety of everyone involved. Traditionally, the maintenance crews would need to carefully examine every inch of an aircraft and look for tiny cracks or signs of damage or degradation. CV systems can perform these inspections in a fraction of the time, spotting potential problems that might be invisible to the human eye. It has also transformed how the military manages its vast inventory of supplies, making it possible to track and count equipment automatically instead of requiring personnel to do time-consuming manual counts.

These systems are particularly valuable in disaster relief situations, a task close to my heart having grown up in New Orleans and lived through Hurricane Katrina. When a natural disaster strikes, CV could help survey the damaged areas quickly and effectively, allowing rescue teams to focus their efforts where they're needed most. CV could also quickly identify people in need of help, on their rooftops during a flood, or being encircled by a forest fire. 

Think of computer vision as thousands of extra pairs of eyes that never get tired, never get distracted, and can spot things humans might miss. This constant vigilance enhances security while freeing up human personnel to focus on tasks that require human judgment and decision-making.

How It Impacts U.S. National Security

The impact of CV on national security is immense. It creates all-new capabilities while also presenting emerging challenges that will require careful consideration.

Opportunities

For the intelligence community, CV systems have revolutionized how they can collect and analyze visual information. Anything from satellite imagery and drone footage to on-the-ground camera feeds can be used to identify patterns and other information that human analysts might miss or take a long period of time to identify. 

CV systems could also significantly enhance the security of military bases and personnel through their surveillance capabilities by detecting any potential threats while also reducing false alarms. 

For equipment monitoring and inventory management, CV systems can automatically track supply movements, assess equipment conditions through visual inspection, and predict maintenance needs before failures occur. This approach could enhance readiness while reducing costs and downtime.

Challenges

However, the spread of CV technology also presents significant security challenges for the U.S. and its allies. Adversary countries will likely also enhance their intelligence gathering and surveillance operations by using CV systems, putting U.S. personnel abroad at risk of being identified. 

There are also growing concerns about counter-surveillance and deception. As CV systems become more sophisticated, so do the methods for defeating them. This includes both technical measures (like adversarial patterns that confuse CV systems) and tactical approaches (like changing behavior patterns to avoid detection).

We must also consider privacy and ethics when discussing the use of CV, especially in the U.S. The widespread deployment of CV systems raises important questions about surveillance limits and privacy rights. These concerns become particularly important when systems are deployed in civilian areas or during joint operations with allies who may have different privacy standards. 

From a strategic perspective, maintaining technological superiority in CV innovations is crucial for national security. This includes not only developing more advanced systems but also understanding and preparing for adversarial capabilities and counter-capabilities. Integrating CV with other emerging technologies like AI and autonomous systems will inevitably create new systems but it will also increase system complexities and vulnerabilities.

The effective use of CV technology requires balancing its tremendous potential with necessary safeguards, regulations, and ethical considerations. As CV technology continues to evolve, maintaining this balance while leveraging new advancements will be crucial for our national security.

Tech Explainers are our method of introducing and analyzing complex technologies in an easily digestible way. They are good practice for us as we grow in our own knowledge and become better at “translating” the technological side of things into the policy and national security side. 

These technologies are incredibly complicated and thus it is difficult to address every detail. So while we strive to produce the best explanations we can, we may have overlooked something in the process. If you feel that is the case please reach out and let us know. We’re always happy to talk!