Artificial intelligence is rewriting the rules of war and peace

Artificial intelligence is transforming the landscape of global security, with implications far beyond the battlefield. According to the Global Peace Index 2026, recorded drone attacks surged from 364 in 2018 to over 42,000 in 2025, a trend partially attributed to the Russia–Ukraine conflict. This escalation is not solely due to increased drone usage, but also to the acceleration of response times facilitated by advanced algorithms.

In some systems, the time between identifying a target and striking it has plummeted from nearly a full day to just five seconds, a development that raises significant political concerns.

While these algorithms can offer a military advantage through increased speed, they also create a serious risk of escalation occurring too swiftly for political leaders to comprehend or control. The illusion of human control is compromised when two adversaries' warning and targeting systems operate at machine tempo, potentially leading to pre-emptive strikes based on algorithms misinterpreting troop movements or radar signals.

This rapid decision-making process, often absent human intervention, has been exemplified in Israel's war on Gaza, where AI-generated systems such as Habsora (The Gospel) and Lavender have been used to identify targets and coordinate military operations. Investigations have revealed that Lavender, for instance, was used to classify individuals as potential militants without thorough checks, highlighting the lack of rigorous verification processes.

As militaries worldwide observe and learn from these developments, the implications for international relations, particularly in the rivalry between China and the United States, mirror historical Cold War dynamics, underscoring the strategic importance of AI dominance.