MIT Tech Review's eBook reveals AI as the new military advisor
Six exclusive stories on how militaries use AI for targeting and spying...
MIT Technology Review has released an exclusive eBook titled 'How AI is becoming the next military advisor,' a collection of six stories written by James O'Donnell between April 11, 2025 and April 21, 2026, now updated for readers. The package dives deep into the Pentagon's embrace of AI for strategic decisions, including generative AI models learning to spy for the US military, AI chatbots being considered for targeting decisions, and plans for AI companies to train on classified data. Another story examines how AI is turning the Iran conflict into a form of 'theater'.
The eBook paints a picture of a new arms race in which machine learning models advise commanders, analyze intelligence, and even recommend lethal actions. It marks a major escalation from earlier AI uses in logistics or surveillance. For professionals, this signals that defense budgets will increasingly fund AI research, creating opportunities and ethical challenges in the dual-use tech landscape.
- Generative AI models are being trained for US military espionage and targeting decisions.
- Pentagon plans to allow AI companies to train on classified military data.
- AI is reshaping the Iran conflict into a media-driven 'theater' of operations.
Why It Matters
Military AI is moving from theory to practice, impacting defense contracts, AI ethics, and global power dynamics.