Are Scout Snipers at Risk Due to AI?

Operate weapons and equipment in ground combat operations. Duties include operating and maintaining weapons, such as rifles, machine guns, mortars, and hand grenades; locating, constructing, and camouflaging infantry positions and equipment; evaluating terrain and recording topographical information; operating and maintaining field communications equipment; assessing need for and directing supporting fire; placing explosives and performing minesweeping activities on land; and participating in basic reconnaissance operations.

The occupation "Infantry" holds an automation risk base of 0.0%, signifying that current and foreseeable technology cannot readily replace human soldiers on the battlefield. This extremely low risk is due to the unique demands inherent to military ground operations, which involve dynamic environments, unpredictability, and high-stakes decision-making that automation struggles to manage. Although certain support roles have seen technological augmentation, the core duties of infantry—such as advancing under fire, clearing complex terrains, and adapting to rapidly evolving threats—require physical and cognitive abilities that are currently beyond autonomous systems. Machine learning and robotics excel in structured or semi-structured environments, but the chaotic and physically demanding nature of infantry work necessitates human presence. Thus, despite the march of automation in many sectors, infantry work remains fundamentally human. When looking at the more automatable aspects of infantry roles, they are typically linked to routine or repetitive components. The top three tasks with the most potential for automation include inventory management of equipment, surveillance or reconnaissance with the support of drones, and basic logistic support tasks such as driving supply vehicles. However, these tasks still significantly rely on human oversight for interpretation, security, and adaptability in contested or rapidly changing environments. Even where automation assists, it augments rather than replaces the human function. The potential for full automation is hampered by the necessity for judgment, rapid-decision making, and responsive leadership—traits that current AI cannot adequately replicate in combat conditions. Conversely, the most automation-resistant duties of infantry include decision-making under fire, close-quarters combat, and providing immediate battlefield first aid. These tasks demand high-level situational awareness, physical resilience, moral judgment, and complex interpersonal coordination—bottleneck skills that resist automation. Bottleneck skills in infantry, such as adaptability (Expert level), emotional resilience (Expert level), and team leadership (Advanced level), are critical to mission success and safety. These skills require intuition, emotional intelligence, rapid learning, and ethical decision-making, all far beyond the reach of current robotics and AI systems. Accordingly, while automation may support certain peripheral functions, the core responsibilities and skills of infantry ensure a very low automation risk.