Addis Ababa, August 13, 2026 (FMC) — Ethiopia must harness artificial intelligence to strengthen its defence capabilities and safeguard national sovereignty and interests, Chief of Staff of the Ethiopian National Defence Force (ENDF), Field Marshal Birhanu Jula, said today.
He made the remarks during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the ENDF and the Ethiopian Artificial Intelligence Institute to integrate AI capabilities into the defence force and support its modernization.
The agreement will focus on applying AI in key areas of defence, including logistics, training, cybersecurity, military healthcare, air force operations and electronic warfare.
Field Marshal Birhanu said AI integration is essential to advancing the ENDF’s modernization objectives. He also highlighted AI’s growing role in healthcare and said the agreement would help expand its application across defence health institutions.
He further stressed technology-assisted training as an important tool for building a capable defence force and called for deeper cooperation between the two institutions in this area.
Ethiopian Artificial Intelligence Institute Director-General Worku Gachena said AI offers significant potential to enhance Ethiopia’s air, ground and cyber capabilities. He reaffirmed the Institute’s commitment to working with the ENDF to build a modern defence force.