TY - JOUR T1 - Machine Learning in Defense and Military Applications: Opportunities, Challenges, and Ethical Considerations AU - Lucas Meyer AU - Anna Schmidt AU - Stefan Braun AU - Laura Keller JF - Journal of Trustworthy and Explainable Intelligent Systems JO - J Trustworthy Explain Intell Syst Y1 - 2025 VL - 4 IS - 2 SP - 67 N2 - Machine learning (ML) has evolved into an indispensable technology within the defense sector, driving the creation of sophisticated mechanisms for identifying threats, supporting decision-making processes, and managing autonomous operations. Nevertheless, the expanding integration of ML into defense frameworks has generated significant ethical anxieties concerning accountability, transparency, and inherent bias. This paper offers an extensive evaluation of ML’s influence on the defense industry, detailing both the advantages and risks of implementing these methodologies across diverse domains, including surveillance operations, target pinpointing, and autonomous weapon platforms. Furthermore, we examine the ethical repercussions of deploying ML in military contexts, emphasizing problems tied to privacy preservation, responsibility attribution, and algorithmic bias. Ultimately, we outline strategic recommendations to alleviate these ethical complications, advocating for heightened operational transparency, clearer accountability structures, and the active engagement of diverse stakeholders in the architecture and deployment of ML systems within defense frameworks. UR - https://tipublications.com/u273247222 ER -