US military relying on AI as tool to speed Iran operations

AI technology is supporting the initial screening of data, allowing humans to focus on higher-level analysis. Read more at straitstimes.com.

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WASHINGTON – US military forces are turning to a range of artificial intelligence tools to quickly manage enormous amounts of data for operations against Iran, according to US Central Command, highlighting the emerging technology’s growing role in warfare.

Since the start of military strikes last week, the US has hit more than 2,000 targets, including 1,000 within the first 24 hours. The effort has been described by Admiral Brad Cooper, the head of Central Command, as nearly “double the scale” of America’s “shock and awe” assault on Iraq in 2003.

In the Iran campaign, AI technology has played a critical role by supporting the initial screening of incoming data, allowing human analysts to focus on higher-level analysis and verification, according to Captain Timothy Hawkins, a Central Command spokesperson. 

“Centcom uses a variety of AI tools, and that is exactly what they are, tools, to assist human experts in a rigorous process aligned with US policy, military doctrine and the law,” he said in an interview with Bloomberg News. He declined to name the tools or the companies that provide them to the military. 

The Iran war is adding new urgency to a widening global debate over who controls the future of AI as a tool of war, including whether the rapidly evolving technology can be used in a lawful manner. It lies at the heart of a high-stakes dispute pitting US defence officials against Anthropic, one of the most promising AI companies whose models are used on the Pentagon’s classified cloud.