These aren’t AI firms, they’re defense contractors. We can’t let them hide behind their models | AI (artificial intelligence)

These aren’t AI firms, they’re defense contractors. We can’t let them hide behind their models | AI (artificial intelligence)

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2026/mar/15/ai-defense-warfare-companies

Publish Date: 2026-03-15 09:00:00

Source Domain: www.theguardian.com

Here is an unordered list summarizing the key points of the article:

1. The article discusses the concept of the “fog procedure,” an Israeli military strategy of shooting into the darkness based on the theory that an invisible threat might be lurking. This strategy has now been refined and systematized through AI systems.

2. AI now plays a central role in modern warfare, particularly in Israel’s recent war in Gaza where AI systems processed data to identify purported militants to target.

3. The reliance on AI for targeting decisions raises significant ethical and legal concerns related to accountability, as the systems’ reasoning is often not transparent and the decision-making process is opaque.

4. The article highlights the case of a school in Minab, Iran that was mistakenly targeted and bombed, likely due to outdated intelligence data incorporated into the AI targeting systems.

5. The article argues that the use of AI in warfare has made international accountability frameworks “structurally irrelevant,” as attribution, reasoning, and process compliance are dissolved in the decision-making architecture.

6. The largest AI companies are increasingly integrated into the military-industrial complex, blurring the line between commercial and defense applications; however, they are not subject to the same oversight and regulations as traditional defense contractors.

7. The article calls for these AI companies to be regulated properly to prevent unethical and unlawful use of their systems in targeting decisions, proposing that AI systems used for targeting must be explainable, the cumulative civilian cost must be assessed, and liability must extend up the supply chain.

In summary, the article argues that reliance on opaque AI systems for targeting decisions risks war crimes, undermines accountability, and calls for proper regulation of these companies to ensure their systems are used lawfully.