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How the military is using AI in war

Updated on: March 18, 2026 / 11:05 AM EDT / CBS News

How the military is using AI in war

TL;DR

  • The Pentagon is phasing out Anthropic's AI systems within six months due to a dispute with the company's CEO.
  • AI is crucial for processing vast amounts of battlefield data, speeding up target identification and strike planning from days to hours.
  • While AI assists in analysis and war-gaming scenarios, humans remain in the loop for final decisions on military targets.
  • Anthropic is suing the federal government for alleged retaliation after its AI contract was canceled.
  • Rival AI companies like Google and OpenAI are seeking to expand their role in military AI applications.
  • AI synthesizes intelligence reports, summarizes findings, and surfaces relevant information faster than human analysts.
  • Traditional defense contractors still provide the vast majority of weapons used in military operations.