Iran War: The First "AI War" in History

```

In the U.S.-Israel military operations against Iran, artificial intelligence was used on a large scale in combat for the first time, marking what may be the first “AI war” in history.

According to the latest report from The Wall Street Journal, from intelligence gathering and target selection to mission planning and battle damage assessment, the involvement of AI tools has significantly improved the efficiency of military operations. In recent conflicts, the U.S.-Israel coalition used AI to process massive amounts of data, quickly lock onto targets, and optimize resource allocation.

However, aside from efficiency, AI has also brought the cost of mistakes to the forefront. In the complex and ever-changing battlefield environment, the limitations of AI have been fully exposed. Data aging, system errors, and over-reliance on machine decision-making can all lead to catastrophic consequences, potentially causing civilian casualties.

Intelligence Processing: From “Unwatchable” to “Searchable”

Military strikes start with intelligence, but the bottleneck of traditional processes lies in “unreadable volumes.” Frontline U.S. military officials say that human analysts can typically view at most about 4% of intelligence material.

Yishai Kohn, the Israeli Defense Ministry’s Colonel in charge of planning, economics, and IT, said, “The greatest immediate impact of AI is in intelligence. Many potential missions simply never happen because there aren’t enough personnel to evaluate key intelligence.”

The report states that Israeli intelligence agencies have long monitored hacked Tehran traffic cameras and listened in on high-level officials’ communications, increasingly relying on AI to sift usable clues from the massive amounts of intercepted information.

AI’s machine vision can quickly identify targets from enormous quantities of video and images, distinguish between specific types of aircraft or vehicles, and extract and summarize relevant conversations from intercepted audio. Matan Goldner, CEO of Israeli software company Conntour, said, “Intelligence agencies already have vast amounts of video data, and now AI allows them to detect exactly what they need in that ocean of data.”

Accelerating Mission Planning: From “Weeks” to “Days”

Beyond intelligence processing, AI has also demonstrated its potential in mission planning and logistics management. Traditionally, military operation planning requires collaboration among intelligence officers, combat commanders, weapons experts, and logistics managers, taking weeks to complete. The involvement of AI is expected to shorten this process to just a few days.

During planning, any change in detail (such as a shift in target location) can trigger a chain reaction, affecting crew schedules, flight plans, and fuel consumption. In the past, updating these factors was slow and subjective. Now, AI can instantly process complex interactions and calculate the impact of every change on overall military deployments.

The Pentagon is increasingly using AI to run models and digital war-gaming to optimize target prioritization and formulate action plans. By processing millions of iterative scenarios, planners can quickly lock in on the course of action most likely to achieve objectives.

Technology’s Double-Edged Sword: Efficiency Boosts and Potential Risks

The application of AI in warfare still involves enormous risks, as war is one of the most chaotic and complex domains of human activity.

Jack Shanahan, the Pentagon’s first Director of AI and a retired Air Force Lieutenant General, pointed out that a major challenge in building military AI is that much of the data used for training is outdated or unclear. Moreover, errors and inaccuracies in AI systems can lead to fatal consequences on the battlefield. Reports indicate that U.S. military investigators believe that on the first day of the war, intelligence errors may have led to the deaths of dozens of children at an Iranian girls’ primary school.

Even more concerning is the over-reliance on AI for decision-making. Emelia Probasco, Senior Fellow at Georgetown University's Center for Security and Emerging Technology, warned that handing decision-making to AI “is a serious issue.” She emphasized that appropriate safeguards must be implemented to limit risks, and current infrastructure investment in this area remains insufficient. In warfare, human judgment is always irreplaceable.

Risk Disclaimer and Limitation of LiabilityThe market involves risk, and investment should be cautious. This article does not constitute personal investment advice and does not take into account the individual investment objectives, financial situation, or needs of any user. Users should consider whether any opinions, views, or conclusions expressed in this article are appropriate to their specific situation. Investment based on this article is at your own risk. ```