Fundamental epistemic error in computational military simulation

Jonathan S. Kent

doi:10.1117/12.3016426

7 June 2024 Fundamental epistemic error in computational military simulation

Jonathan S. Kent

Proceedings Volume 13035, Synthetic Data for Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning: Tools, Techniques, and Applications II; 130350R (2024) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.3016426
Event: SPIE Defense + Commercial Sensing, 2024, National Harbor, Maryland, United States

Abstract

Current standard practices in computational military simulation, especially the simulation of historical battles, result in fundamental epistemic error that significantly reduces its evidentiary power, the usefulness of any generated synthetic data for machine learning systems, as well as its capacity to develop meaningful and general results which might be applied to contemporary affairs. This paper lays out this criticism by analogizing military simulation to the numerical approximation of dynamical systems, via which we demonstrate the limitations associated with attempting to model a single battle. We end with a discourse on the nature of the results that should be expected from high quality computational military simulation, and its role in military doctrine, both from a Clausewitzian perspective.

Conference Presentation

(2024) Published by SPIE. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.

Citation Download Citation

Jonathan S. Kent "Fundamental epistemic error in computational military simulation", Proc. SPIE 13035, Synthetic Data for Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning: Tools, Techniques, and Applications II, 130350R (7 June 2024); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.3016426

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