Artificial Intelligence is rapidly reshaping the foundations of military power, shifting from routine automation to “intelligentized warfare” that can compress decision-making cycles and blur the lines between conventional and strategic conflict. This report examines the perilous entanglement of AI with nuclear command and control (NC3) and adjacent systems, arguing that while integration is inevitable, the resulting risks of inadvertent escalation and miscalculation are profoundly destabilizing.

Drawing on lessons from the atomic age, the report traces parallels between the dawn of nuclear weapons and the rise of autonomous systems, highlighting the urgent need for anticipatory governance. It situates India at the center of this challenge. Caught between the modernizing capabilities of China and Pakistan, New Delhi faces a dual imperative: it must accelerate its own technological adaptation to avoid strategic irrelevance while championing responsible global norms to prevent catastrophic error.

The analysis concludes with a concrete roadmap for India—moving from immediate “human-in-the-loop” safeguards to the long-term establishment of an International AI Security Council. By balancing military readiness with ethical leadership, India can secure its strategic autonomy and help define the rules of the road for the age of AI.