AI is now part of the culture wars — and real wars

The article details how AI became central to both political culture wars and actual military conflict following a US strike on Iran. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's designation of Anthropic as a supply-chain risk, seemingly over concerns about its contract with the Pentagon, occurred just as the US assassinated Iranian leaders using Claude-powered intelligence tools for target identification and scenario simulation. This event demonstrated AI's sophisticated, albeit extralegal, capability in precision strikes, even against adversaries with internet blackouts. Experts warn this signals a shift toward "dyadic automated warfare" and threatens nuclear deterrence stability by making second-strike forces transparent. Furthermore, the article critiques OpenAI's contract language regarding surveillance, noting that terms like "unconstrained monitoring" lack clear legal grounding. The piece also discusses the political maneuvering between President Trump, who signaled de-escalation, and Hegseth, whose final decision on Anthropic created industry uncertainty. Finally, the author contrasts these high-stakes events with a recent debate on AI's impact on job obsolescence, highlighting the tension between AI doomers and optimists.

(Source：The Verge)