US is working with Musk and others to build the 'future of warfare'
2026-10-01
The Independent
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US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the creation of the Autonomous Warfare Command, dedicated to developing and deploying AI-driven autonomous systems and drones across the US military. The move reflects a shift toward AI-enabled warfare, raising concerns about future risks and potential harm from autonomous military technologies.[AI generated]
Why's our monitor labelling this an incident or hazard?
The article explicitly mentions the use of AI and autonomous systems in military applications, including drones and advanced weapons systems, which are AI systems by definition. The event concerns the development and intended use of these AI systems in warfare, which could plausibly lead to harms such as injury, death, and disruption of critical infrastructure. No actual harm or incident is reported as having occurred yet, but the credible risk of future harm from these AI-enabled military technologies is clear. Hence, the event fits the definition of an AI Hazard rather than an AI Incident or other categories.[AI generated]