TL;DR

The head of US Central Command has confirmed the military is using “a variety of advanced AI tools” in the ongoing conflict with Iran. Admiral Brad Cooper said AI helps process data in seconds, though humans retain final targeting decisions. China has warned against unrestricted military AI use.

AI on the Battlefield

Admiral Cooper stated that AI systems help US forces “sift through vast amounts of data in seconds” so commanders can “make smarter decisions faster than the enemy can react.” He stressed that humans retain authority over all targeting decisions, but acknowledged AI has compressed processes that previously took hours or days into seconds.

The confirmation comes as the US-Israeli campaign, which began on 28 February, has killed at least 1,300 people in Iran according to Al Jazeera. The Iranian Red Crescent Society reported nearly 20,000 civilian buildings and 77 healthcare facilities damaged. Calls are growing for an independent investigation into a school bombing that killed more than 170 people, predominantly children.

The Anthropic Connection

The military AI confirmation coincides with Washington’s ongoing dispute with Anthropic. The AI company was labelled a “supply chain risk” by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth after insisting its models should not be used for fully autonomous weapons or mass surveillance. Anthropic has sued the administration, while a Pentagon memo this week suggested Claude access could continue beyond the six-month phase-out if deemed critical to national security.

Pentagon spokeswoman Kingsley Wilson’s statement — “America’s warfighters will never be held hostage by unelected tech executives” — captures the tension between military demand for AI tools and the ethical boundaries some developers are drawing.

International Response

China’s Defence Ministry spokesperson Jiang Bin warned against “unrestricted application of AI by the military,” saying it risks “giving algorithms the power to determine life and death” and eroding ethical accountability in warfare.

Looking Forward

The confirmed use of AI in an active conflict raises urgent questions about oversight, civilian protection and the pace at which military AI is being deployed relative to governance frameworks. For UK defence planners, the developments will inform ongoing debates about autonomous systems within NATO.