What Next | Daily News and Analysis Are We Ready for A.I. Warfare?
34 snips
Mar 13, 2026 Steven Feldstein, a political scientist at the Carnegie Endowment focusing on AI and national security, walks through how drones and AI are changing modern conflict. He breaks down drone types, U.S. adoption of cheap loitering munitions, AI’s role in targeting and monitoring, accountability gaps, and the risks of widening psychological and political distance in remote warfare.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Human Error Over AI In The School Strike
- The Iran school strike likely resulted from human error and outdated DIA intelligence rather than AI-driven targeting.
- Steven Feldstein notes updated public satellite imagery and AI vetting could have prevented the mislabeling that treated a decade-old school as an active naval base.
AI Enables Tempo But Humans Still Decide
- Current U.S. strikes use AI tools like Claude and Palantir's MAVEN to increase tempo but humans still hold key decision-making roles.
- Feldstein calls the conflict a transitional 'gray period' where AI enables targeting but does not fully automate lethal choices.
From Reapers To $1k FPV Attack Drones
- Drone technology has democratized from expensive Reaper-style UAVs to cheap one-way loitering munitions and hobbyist FPV quadcopters.
- Feldstein gives examples: Turkish TB2s cost ~ $1M each, Shaheds cost ~$80k and FPV strike drones sell for $1k–$3k.