The character of military competition is undergoing a fundamental transformation as artificial intelligence (AI), autonomous systems, machine learning, robotics, advanced sensing, and algorithmic decision-support become increasingly integrated into national security strategies. Conventional arms races have historically been measured through the accumulation of tanks, aircraft, missiles, naval platforms, nuclear weapons, and other physical capabilities. The emerging competition increasingly depends on less visible but strategically significant resources, including data, computing capacity, algorithms, software, autonomous systems, semiconductor technologies, and human–machine integration. This article examines the transition from conventional arms competition to what it conceptualizes as algorithmic competition. Using a qualitative and exploratory research design based on secondary literature, policy documents, institutional reports, and contemporary security developments, the study analyses how artificial intelligence is transforming military power, strategic decisionmaking, autonomous weapons, deterrence, escalation dynamics, and international security governance. The article argues that the emerging AI arms race differs from traditional arms races in three fundamental ways: the speed of technological innovation is significantly greater, military advantage increasingly depends on dual-use civilian technologies and intangible capabilities, and the boundary between human and machine decisionmaking is becoming progressively blurred. The study further argues that autonomous weapons introduce a new strategic dilemma because increasing military speed and operational efficiency may simultaneously reduce predictability, complicate accountability, and increase escalation risks. The growing integration of AI into military systems also creates a governance gap because international institutions have struggled to establish sufficiently precise and universally accepted rules concerning autonomy, human control, accountability, and the use of AI in armed conflict. The article concludes that algorithmic competition is unlikely to replace conventional military power; rather, it is becoming embedded within existing military capabilities and transforming their strategic value. Consequently, global security governance must move beyond traditional arms-control frameworks toward a multidimensional approach addressing AI development, autonomous weapons, military decision-support systems, data infrastructures, and human control over the use of force.

Himanshu Gupta,"From Conventional Arms Races to Algorithmic Competition: Artificial Intelligence, Autonomous Weapons, and Global Security" International Journal of Advanced Multidisciplinary Research and Educational Development, V2(5): Page(206-213) September - October 2026. ISSN: 3107-6513. www.ijamred.com. Published by Scientific and Academic Research Publishing.