tech
February 6, 2026
Thales CAIO Ajay Chakravarthy on AI in the Defence Sector
Ajay Chakravarthy, Head of AI at Thales, explains how frugal AI, quantum computing and human-machine teaming will define defence systems
TL;DR
- Defence and security sector AI faces constraints like harsh environments, minimal resources, and lack of cloud connectivity.
- Thales calls their approach to developing AI for these conditions 'frugal AI'.
- Thales has already deployed frugal AI systems in military operations.
- Ajay Chakravarthy, Chief AI Officer at Thales, has extensive experience in AI from academia and government roles.
- Chakravarthy emphasizes the difference between AI prototypes and systems that can operate under pressure in real-world scenarios.
- The ultimate goal is to deploy AI to the frontline, beyond just research and prototypes.
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