Former CIA Director Gen. David Petraeus said military commanders should retain human judgment over AI-supported targeting, even when machines can perform some battlefield decisions under strict rules of engagement.
NDTV reported that Petraeus discussed the issue at its World Summit. He said target identification and civilian safety should be safeguards set before a strike, and mentioned 95% certainty when describing confidence in a target.
Petraeus said machines could be trusted with some duties if humans could be trusted to follow the same rules. He said human judgment must remain in warfare and cautioned that teaching machines to apply rules of engagement during war would be increasingly difficult.
Earlier in his remarks, he said AI could eventually take on some tasks now handled by military personnel, including monitoring developments and preparing reports.
Petraeus also discussed AI's possible role in air defense, saying radar, sound-sensor and other equipment data could be combined to help forces identify approaching aircraft, drones and missiles.
