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Pentagon says overreliance on AI contributed to missile strike on Iran school

974 points · 553 comments · devonnull

  1. legitster · · focus · HN ↗
    > It found the U.S. “failed in its obligation to do everything feasible to verify” that the school was a military objective and that the failure “went beyond mere negligence.” The report said the United States “directed the strikes at the building of the school while being aware of a substantial risk of striking a civilian object and acting recklessly as regards the possibility that this would happen.”

    Reading the details, "AI" doesn't really seem like the culprit -it's a scapegoat.

    The intelligence that it was no longer a military target never entered the target database, the team that was responsible for vetting the target list was gutted, and said team was never even consulted.

    The White House wanted 1000 targets and pulled from their database without any due diligence. Whether it was an AI call or an SQL query - this was from pure human maliciousness and incompetence.

    1. xlayn · · focus · HN ↗
      Now, ask yourself if you want AI taking decisions around your life... it will pull numbers... someone will have a "goal" of 1000 "hits" and there you go, 2-3 months in jail working to check what went wrong...

      But don't worry, the other P AI system will ensure that the first one doesn't do mistakes...

      1. 8note · · focus · HN ↗
        what makes ai special here? a person following an SOP that involves polling an incomplete dataset will have the same 2-3 months in jail
        1. iAMkenough · · focus · HN ↗
          Judicially, you can hold a person accountable for "accidentally" killing 100+ children easier than you can a technology system. The technology system will always be used as the scapegoat for the government's atrocities.

          I'm not sure why the "people make mistakes too" crowd can't seem to grasp this concept.

          1. bradleyjg · · focus · HN ↗
            Do you have three examples from 20 years in Afghanistan of analysts being held judicially accountable for target selection errors?
            1. iAMkenough · · focus · HN ↗
              Seems like a weird goalpost.

              Doesn't invalidate my point. I didn't say it was easy to hold a person accountable, just easier than a techonology system, whose owners point the finger back at government.

              I think we both want to see justice for those 100+ innocent children murdered (as well as those innocent lives in Afghanistan and Iraq) by the U.S. Military's incompentence.

              There were never "weapons of mass destruction," although Congress was mislead to believe there was.

              In the Minab attack, Congress wasn't even given the option to authorize.

              1. bradleyjg · · focus · HN ↗
                You’re comparing the current system not to the status quo ante but to a utopian fantasy that only ever existed in your imagination.

                That’s a weird goalpost.

                1. iAMkenough · · focus · HN ↗
                  For the sake of argument, I'm also entertaining your idea of what happens after the U.S. spends 20+ years killing innocent family members overseas. And how that strategy has changed since the Iran conflict many years later?

                  An end to anti-American radicalism brought on by the repeated pattern of carelessly murdering children of pro-democracy parents in these regions and cutting international aid to other regions?

                  If it was my 12-year-old murdered by a "targeting error," I would dedicate my life to revenge.

                  1. Cyph0n · · focus · HN ↗
                    This is a war that is generally supported by both Republicans and Democrats - the latter mostly dissenting to the fact that it is being conducted without Congressional approval.

                    It is also a war that extends in part from the Gaza genocide, which as we know was overseen and backed by a Democratic administration.

                    In other words, this is a war enabled and sanctioned by our government collectively, and not a particular administration or party.

                    1. iAMkenough · · focus · HN ↗
                      Did representatives from the U.S. House and Sentate vote to authorize this?

                      No. You're full of shit. It's Trump's Executive Branch demanding quotas from the Pentagon that led to bad information being used to murder 100+ children.

                      Maybe if Republican and Democrat elected representatives had an oppportunity to authorize the Iran war, I would listen to you.

                      Respectfully, your argument is bullshit.

                      Produce voting records authorizing the war, or shut up.

                      1. Cyph0n · · focus · HN ↗
                        Just came back to this. I am genuinely curious: were you expecting to start a discussion with such a disrespectful reply, or were you just ragebaiting?
                        1. iAMkenough · · focus · HN ↗
                          I'm genuienly curious if you want to give it the time. If not, I understand. Respect is earned, and I'm willing to listen.
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