In light of recent reports regarding the U.S. military’s use of artificial intelligence in warfare, members of Congress are calling for increased oversight. The military has been utilizing AI to help identify target sites in Iran for attacks.
As AI technology continues to grow alongside ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, various outlets—including The Independent—have covered its implementation in military operations.
According to NBC News, which cited insiders, the U.S. military is employing AI tools from Palantir to pinpoint potential airstrike targets in its operations in Iran.
The Maven Smart System developed by Palantir is leveraging classified satellite data and surveillance technology to aid the military in real-time targeting and prioritization during its campaign in Iran, as reported by The Washington Post last week.
The Maven Smart System employs Anthropic’s Claude tool, which assists military personnel in quickly analyzing a large volume of intelligence reports, enabling faster assessments than those made by humans.
However, it was clarified by a source familiar with the Department of Defense’s utilization of Claude that the tool does not autonomously select military targets; that task remains a human responsibility.
The Independent has reached out to both Palantir and the Department of Defense for comments.
In the NBC News report, several Democratic lawmakers advocated for heightened oversight over the military’s AI practices.
“A thorough, unbiased review is vital to determine whether AI has already harmed or endangered lives in the ongoing war with Iran,” remarked Representative Jill Tokuda from Hawaii, who is also a member of the House Armed Services Committee.
Senator Elissa Slotkin of Michigan, a former CIA analyst and member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, emphasized the need for human oversight, specifying, “It is essential for humans, particularly the Secretary of Defense, to ensure human redundancy is maintained for the foreseeable future, a point on which we currently lack confidence.”
Representative Sara Jacobs of California, another member of the House Armed Services Committee, stated, “We have a duty to impose stringent regulations on the military’s use of AI, ensuring that a human is involved in every lethal decision, as the repercussions of errors could be catastrophic for both civilians and service members.”
A recent investigation conducted by The Independent in collaboration with conflict monitoring organization Airwars revealed that Abdul-Rahman al-Rawi, a 20-year-old student, became the first confirmed civilian casualty in a series of airstrikes believed to have been assisted by AI.
Abdul-Rahman was reportedly caught in one of the many assaults carried out by the U.S. in February 2024 against Iranian-backed militias and Iraqi government-aligned forces in Iraq and Syria.
Admiral Brad Cooper, who heads the U.S. Central Command, acknowledged that AI tools are being utilized in the military’s operations against the Iranian regime.
“Our warfighters are employing advanced AI systems to sift through extensive data in seconds, enabling our leaders to make informed decisions quickly, often faster than the enemy can respond,” Admiral Cooper stated in a video briefing on Wednesday.
He emphasized, “While humans will always determine what actions to take, advanced AI can expedite processes that typically require hours or days into mere seconds.”
Reportedly, at least 1,230 individuals have died in the current conflict in Iran, as stated by the Associated Press, based on local officials’ accounts. It remains uncertain how many of those casualties were civilians.
A preliminary report from the Pentagon indicates that the U.S. mistakenly bombed an all-girls school in Minab, Iran, as reported by The New York Times on Wednesday, citing various sources familiar with the findings.
The strike, which occurred on February 28, resulted in approximately 175 fatalities, predominantly children, according to Iranian officials. It remains unclear whether AI played any role in this incident.
When asked about the report outside the White House on Wednesday, Trump responded, “I don’t know about it.”
