WIREDGOV

EXPERT COMMENT

The war in Iran has added to concerns about the risks of using AI to select targets during armed conflict.

The US-Israeli war with Iran has amplified long-standing concerns over the adoption of AI-supported targeting in warfare. 

These concerns came to the fore in the aftermath of the 28 February strike on Shajareh Tayyebeh girls’ school in Minab, southern Iran, which Iran says killed at least 168 people, most of whom were schoolchildren. 

The Trump administration initially blamed Iran for the strike, though it did not provide any evidence. The US says it is now investigating the bombing. The Washington Post has reported that the school was on a US target list. 

US Senate Democrats have written to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth seeking information about the attack, including clarification on any use of AI in target selection. So far there has been no confirmation of whether or not AI was used in planning or executing the strike on the school. 

Admiral Brad Cooper, the US commander leading the war in Iran, has confirmed the use of ‘a variety of advanced AI tools’ to sift through large amounts of data in the conflict, without naming any tools in particular. He said these tools allowed leaders to make ‘smarter decisions faster than the enemy can react’ and sped up processes from taking hours or days to seconds. Admiral Cooper also stated that: ‘Humans will always make final decisions on what to shoot and what not to shoot, and when to shoot.’

Iran is not the first war to incorporate AI systems, but it signals AI-supported targeting is becoming the norm in warfare. While militaries may embrace the potential for increased efficiency, significant risks remain.  

Click here to continue reading the full version of this Expert Comment on the Chatham House website.