Intelligence Squared Is AI About to Automate War? With Anthony King
Sep 30, 2025
In this discussion, Anthony King, Professor of war studies and director of the Strategy and Security Institute at the University of Exeter, tackles the misconceptions surrounding AI in warfare. He highlights the practical applications of AI in military logistics and targeting, stressing the necessity of human judgment over automated decision-making. King also delves into how current AI systems face limitations and the implications of tech talent concentration in Silicon Valley. He warns against the dangers of automation bias while emphasizing AI's role in reshaping military culture.
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AI Is Powerful But Not Strategic
- Anthony King argues AI processes massive data to produce useful but not fully predicted results and is different from human intelligence.
- He warns AI is significant for warfare but far from automating strategic judgment or replacing commanders.
Generative AI Is Inductive And Brittle
- King explains generative AI is inductive and brittle: small data gaps create serious errors in novel contexts.
- He says AI excels where data is abundant and stable, but strategy needs interpretation and moral judgment AI lacks.
Army's Route Planner: A Military Waze
- The British Army built a route-planning ML tool that turned hours of staff work into seconds, like a military Waze.
- King uses this small, bounded success to show how AI can solve clear problems with good data.
