Germany has invested heavily into what officials say will help them find the future of combat through an artificial intelligence (AI) virtual training area some have dubbed a military "metaverse."

"We compete with the big ones in the industry," GhostPlay project manager Gary Schaal, a professor at Helmut Schmidt University in Hamburg, wrote in a press release. "Our [Unique Selling Point]: agility and the ability to quickly show results."

Developer 21strategies pulled together a mix of start-ups and defense academics to create the virtual battlefield GhostPlay, which allows developers to test out different weapons and systems inside a risk-free environment.

The German Defense Ministry funded the project as part of a 500 million euros ($540 million) COVID-19 spending package that intended to help revive the country’s high-tech defense sector, Defense News reported.

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The GhostPlay website describes the platform as a "simulation environment AI-based decision-making at machine speed."

"Novel, superior courses of action can be developed by simulating complex military battle scenarios," the company wrote. "As a result, flexibility and superiority can be achieved at the strategic, tactical and operational levels."

The simulations can create "unpredictable" conditions to improve the thoroughness of testing and depth of preparation for military planning, the developers said.

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One of the key aspects that sets the program apart rests in the use of "third-wave" algorithms, which 21strategies CEO Yvonne Hofstetter says creates more "human-like" decision-making from the simulated units.

She explained that second-wave algorithms merely optimize or speed up decision-making, but the third-wave will help create new situations and determine novel actions.

The platform also seeks to recreate environments "down to the last leaf," according to Hofstetter, which GhostPlay achieves through aggregating satellite photos and local databases on everything from housing to vegetation.

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"There is enough info ... kind of scary, really," Hofstetter said.

The most promising exercise the platform has recently explored looks at how to best optimize swarm tactics, particularly loitering munitions. The Office of Army Development has collaborated with the platform precisely due to its ability to recreate detailed environments in which the munitions would deploy.

According to a press release from Hensoldt, a multinational company that provides financing to the GhostPlay platform, "In order to optimally enable highly complex defense systems, we need to master artificial intelligence in its entire range ... to this end, we develop many AI competencies in-house and supplement them in a very targeted manner."

Hollywood actress turned real-life princess Grace Kelly died on this day in history, Sept. 14, 1982. 

Kelly, 52, died the day after she suffered a stroke while driving and crashed her car in the Côte d'Azur region of France. 

The car careened down a 45-foot embankment — mortally wounding Kelly. 

Her daughter, Stephanie, was also in the car with her mother, but did not suffer serious injuries. 

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Born in Philadelphia to a wealthy Irish Catholic family on Nov. 12, 1929, Kelly made her Broadway debut in November 1949, says Encyclopedia Britannica. 

Two years later, in 1951, Kelly first appeared on the silver screen with a minor role in the film "Fourteen Hours," notes IMDB. 

Her next film, "High Noon," was her "breakthrough role," said Encyclopedia Britannica.

Kelly was nominated for the Academy Award for "Best Actress in a Supporting Role" for her portrayal of Linda Nordley in the 1953 film "Mogambo." 

While she lost that award to actress Donna Reed, Kelly did not have to wait very long for recognition from the Academy of Motion Pictures.

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In 1955, Kelly won the Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her performance in the film "The Country Girl."

Playing the "dowdy wife of an alcoholic actor," notes Encyclopedia Britannica, Kelly beat out performances from Judy Garland, Audrey Hepburn, Jane Wyman and Dorothy Dandridge to win Best Actress that year. 

Kelly was also well known for her work with legendary Hollywood director Alfred Hitchcock, notes the Hitchcock fan website "The Hitchcock Zone." 

She starred in three of his films: "Dial M for Murder," "Rear Window," and "To Catch a Thief." 

While Kelly's star rose quickly in Hollywood, her film career would abruptly end in 1956 with her marriage to Monaco's Prince Rainier III. 

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In a story that seemed ripped from the pages of a fairy tale, Kelly met Prince Rainier III in May 1955. 

The two were set up by actress Olivia de Havilland and her husband, Pierre Galante, the editor of Paris-Match. 

While de Havilland and Galante were on a train en route to Cannes, Galante learned that Kelly was also aboard. 

He came up with the idea to introduce her to Prince Rainier. 

When the train arrived in Cannes, de Havilland ran over to Kelly and suggested that the two meet. 

Their initial meeting did not begin well. 

After a series of scheduling difficulties, coupled with a strike that shut off electricity to the city, Kelly arrived with wet, slicked back hair and the only unwrinkled outfit that she had.

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Once Kelly arrived, she was kept occupied for 55 minutes by the palace's maitre d'hotel Michel Demaurizi.

"It was nearly 4 p.m. when my father finally appeared in the royal antechamber," Prince Albert told Paris-Match in a 2022 interview. "A few shots were made. The famous handshake photograph, posed."

Prince Rainier took Kelly to his palace's gardens and private zoo and "let his charm work." 

And the charm did indeed work: Kelly and Prince Rainier announced their engagement on Jan. 5, after a seven-month courtship. 

They were married civilly on April 18 in Monaco, followed by a religious wedding the following day at St. Nicholas Cathedral. 

Kelly's wedding dress was a gift to her by her studio, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and was designed by costume designer Helen Rose, says the Philadelphia Museum of Art's website. The dress can be viewed at the museum.

Rose had previously dressed Kelly for four of her films. 

"Conceived to complement the bride’s fairy-princess image, [the dress] is made of silk faille and antique Brussels lace embellished with pearls and was constructed with meticulous care — and under strict security — by MGM’s wardrobe department," said the Philadelphia Museum of Art. 

After her wedding, Kelly became officially known as Princess Grace of Monaco. 

Kelly and Rainier had three children: Princess Caroline, Prince Albert II of Monaco and Princess Stephanie. 

Princess Stephanie, who was 17 years old, was with her mother at the time of her stroke and car crash. 

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She suffered a hairline fracture in her neck but made a full recovery. 

Kelly, however, never regained consciousness. 

Her funeral Mass took place on Sept. 18, 1982, at St. Nicholas Cathedral. She was buried at the cathedral in the Grimaldi family crypt. 

Prince Rainier III never remarried. He died in 2005 at age 81.