Artificial intelligence is increasingly capable of reaching conclusions that even its creators struggle to explain. As militaries integrate these systems into targeting and weapons, the danger is not merely that machines might make mistakes, but that humans may lose the ability to understand decisions made in their name.

A practical guide to some of the most important investigations, journalists and organisations exposing how artificial intelligence is being developed and deployed in modern warfare.

AOAV and SOAS brought together journalists, researchers and experts to examine how artificial intelligence, surveillance, big tech and automated targeting are reshaping warfare, civilian harm and the investigative methods needed to expose responsibility across increasingly opaque military systems.

Israel’s AI-driven bombing of Gaza has produced unprecedented civilian death rates and raised grave accusations of genocide and war crimes.

As far-right nationalism resurges in Britain, American defence-tech firms like Anduril and Palantir are exploiting patriotic imagery and political discontent to expand their influence, embedding themselves within the UK’s defence establishment and blurring the line between security, surveillance, and ideology.

Anthony Downey’s essay argues that artificial intelligence systems used by the Israeli military in Gaza have transformed warfare by automating the designation of targets, eroding human oversight, and providing a technological alibi for mass civilian killings.

Perhaps if Hegel was alive today, he’d warn that if morality and accountability in war were replaced by algorithmic automation, the state itself would risk becoming a mere ghost in the machine.

Dr Paddy Walker, a leading expert on autonomous weapons, discusses the ethical, legal, and technical challenges of AI-driven warfare with Dr Iain Overton, exploring the urgent need for human oversight in modern conflict.

Israel’s AI-powered targeting system ‘Lavender’ automates the identification and elimination of human targets, raising profound ethical concerns about accountability, dehumanization, and the commercialization of war technology.

The UK’s testing of AI-powered autonomous drones marks a significant advancement in military technology but raises serious ethical and moral concerns over the increasing role of machines in making life-and-death decisions on the battlefield.