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As the U.S. military expands its use of AI tools to pinpoint targets for airstrikes in Iran, members of Congress are calling for guardrails and greater oversight of the technology\u2019s use in war.<\/p>\n
Two people with knowledge of the matter, who requested anonymity to discuss sensitive matters, confirmed the military is using AI systems from data analytics company Palantir to identify potential targets in the ongoing attacks. The use of Palantir\u2019s software, which relies in part on Anthropic\u2019s Claude AI systems, comes as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth aims to put artificial intelligence at the heart<\/a> of America\u2019s combat operations \u2014 and as he has clashed with Anthropic leadership over limitations on the use of AI.<\/p>\n Yet, as AI assumes a wider role on the battlefield, lawmakers are demanding greater focus on the protections that should govern its use and increased transparency about how much control is ceded to the technology.<\/p>\n \u201cWe need a full, impartial review to determine if AI has already harmed or jeopardized lives in the war with Iran,\u201d Rep. Jill Tokuda, D-Hawaii, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, told NBC News in response to questions about the use and reliability of AI in military contexts. \u201cHuman judgment must remain at the center of life-or-death decisions.\u201d<\/p>\n The Defense Department and leading AI companies such as OpenAI and Anthropic have publicly stated that current AI systems should not be able to kill without human signoff. But the concern remains that relying on AI for parts of its operations or decision-making can lead to mistakes in military operations.<\/p>\n The Pentagon\u2019s chief spokesperson, Sean Parnell, said in a post on X<\/a> on Feb. 26 that the military did not \u201cwant to use AI to develop autonomous weapons that operate without human involvement.\u201d<\/p>\n The Defense Department did not respond to questions about how the military balances its use of AI to reduce human workloads while verifying analysis and targeting suggestions are accurate.<\/p>\n Lawmakers and independent experts who spoke to NBC News raised alarm over the military\u2019s use of such tools, calling for clear safeguards to ensure humans remain involved in life-or-death decisions on the battlefield.<\/p>\n \u201cAI tools aren\u2019t 100% reliable \u2014 they can fail in subtle ways and yet operators continue to over-trust them,\u201d said Rep. Sara Jacobs, D-Calif, a member of the House Armed Services Committee.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have a responsibility to enforce strict guardrails on the military\u2019s use of AI and guarantee a human is in the loop in every decision to use lethal force, because the cost of getting it wrong could be devastating for civilians and the service members carrying out these missions,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Anthropic\u2019s Claude has become a crucial component of Palantir\u2019s Maven intelligence analysis program, which was also used in the U.S. operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicol\u00e1s <\/strong>Maduro. News of Claude\u2019s role in recent military actions was first reported by The Wall Street Journal<\/a> and The Washington Post<\/a>. <\/p>\n But that role has been complicated by Anthropic\u2019s clash with Hegseth after the company sought to prevent the military from using its AI for domestic surveillance and autonomous deadly weapons<\/a>. Last week, the Defense Department labeled Anthropic a threat to national security<\/a>, a move that threatens to remove it from military use in the coming months. Anthropic filed a lawsuit<\/a> to fight that designation.<\/p>\n Anthropic declined to comment. Palantir did not respond to a request for comment. <\/p>\n