US likely used AI in airstrike that killed 160 schoolgirls: Report

BIRMINGHAM, England

Artificial intelligence helped the US identify targets in the opening phase of Washington’s war against Iran, British newspaper The Times reported Wednesday, raising questions about a strike that killed more than 175 students and staff at a girls school.

The newspaper reported that in the first 24 hours of Operation Epic Fury, US forces struck more than 1,000 targets in Iran with the assistance of AI systems designed to analyze large volumes of intelligence data and suggest potential strike locations.

The pace, about 42 suggested targets per hour, has led analysts to question whether the speed of automated systems may be outstripping the ability of humans to fully verify targets.

The scrutiny follows a strike on the Shajareh Tayyebeh primary school in the southern Iranian city of Minab that killed at least 160 school girls and others.

Evidence examined by analysts suggests the site was likely hit by US Tomahawk cruise missiles.

Historical satellite imagery showed the school had once been part of an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) complex but had been separated from it for nearly a decade.

Experts told the newspaper that outdated imagery or automated analysis could have contributed to the site being identified as a military target. The Pentagon said an investigation into the strike is ongoing.

The Times said the US and Israel are deploying several artificial intelligence systems in the conflict, including tools developed under the Pentagon’s Project Maven program, which uses machine learning to analyze intelligence gathered from satellites, surveillance aircraft and other sources.