In the first 24 hours of a US operation against Iran this winter, an artificial intelligence (AI)-driven targeting system, Epic Fury, identified approximately a thousand objects for potential strikes in seconds, a task impossible for a human analyst in a day. Since late February, the United States has launched over 11,000 strikes against Iran, many cued by Palantir’s Maven Smart System.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth's January 2026 strategy prioritizes rapid AI adoption, accepting "imperfect alignment" risks, leading to deployment of systems not fully understood. This speed can result in errors, like a children’s hospital strike due to outdated data, with commanders lacking time for "meaningful verification." AI also transforms information warfare; a pro-Iranian studio, Explosive Media, uses AI-generated animations for propaganda, garnering billions of views and delivering antisemitic tropes. The European Defense Fund bans EU funding for lethal autonomous weapons without meaningful human control, and the European Parliament advocates for a treaty. However, the AI Act's national security carve-out creates policy gaps. Auditability in defense procurement and addressing AI-driven distortion are crucial, as autonomous drone swarms are a reality in Ukraine, demanding binding rules before further deployment.
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