The war in Iran is the first battle where AI is being used at an unprecedented scale, according to The Wall Street Journal.
AI tools are used to gather intelligence, plan bombing missions, choose targets and analyze battle damage at “speeds previously not possible,” the paper reported. Commanders also use AI to help manage supplies such as ammunition, and optimize the choice of weapons.
Israeli intelligence services have increasingly relied on AI to sift through vast amounts of intercepted communications and hacked surveillance feeds. It had hacked Iranian traffic cameras and senior officials’ chatter for years, leading to the targeting of its Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei last week.
The systems can analyze video, radar and other sensor data to identify potential targets, allowing analysts to process far more information than human teams alone could handle. At most, human intelligence analysts can examine only 4% of material collected, the paper said.
The Pentagon and allied militaries have been developing similar capabilities for years, drawing lessons from conflicts including Ukraine’s war with Russia. NATO and U.S. forces are also using AI to monitor shipping activity, run digital wargaming simulations and streamline operational planning.
AI-first fighting force
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth is bent on creating an “AI-first” warfighting force, the paper said. The U.S. War Department recently dropped Anthropic as a vendor after the AI company refused to let it use its technology for fully autonomous weapons and mass surveillance of Americans. Anthropic is suing.
The use of AI in the military typically gives commanders more complete information, faster. This in turn gives them a battlefield advantage. Since the war in Iran began, the U.S. said it has hit more than 3,000 targets. AI-powered machine vision can quickly single out aircraft or vehicle models.
“The number of targets you can nominate through AI is just skyrocketing,” Adm. Pierre Vandier, NATO’s top officer for digital transformation, told the paper.
While killer droids are often the stereotype of AI used in battle, the reality is the technology is most often used behind the scenes in areas that are time-consuming and labor-intensive such as logistics. This reflects the combat roles ratio: up to 90% of personnel are in support positions.
Despite the growing reliance on AI, military leaders say the technology is largely used to support human decision-making rather than replace it. Most applications are in intelligence, planning and logistics rather than autonomous weapons.
Officials caution that AI systems still have limitations and that overreliance could lead to mistakes. Investigators are examining a strike early in the conflict that reportedly killed dozens of children, underscoring the risks associated with high-speed AI-assisted decision-making in war.
