War used to be a calculated risk — costly, messy, and politically treacherous. But AI is changing the equation. The rise of autonomous weapons, AI-driven combat systems, and real-time algorithmic decision-making is making conflict easier to start, harder to control, and nearly impossible to regulate.
The implications? The threshold for war is lower than ever.
AI doesn’t hesitate. It doesn’t suffer from war fatigue or ethical dilemmas. It calculates, predicts, and executes orders faster than humans ever could. Nations like the U.S. and China are leading this charge, with 72% of U.S. defense contractors already using AI in lethal systems (Rand Corporation). China’s military doctrine, “AI Supremacy by 2030,” aims to dominate global warfare — not just by outgunning adversaries, but by outthinking them through System Destruction Warfare — crippling energy grids, financial systems, and command structures before the first missile is fired.
But here’s where things get even darker: AI doesn’t just accelerate warfare. It removes the political cost.
When autonomous drones carry out precision strikes without human intervention, war becomes palatable. There’s no need to rally public support, risk soldiers’ lives, or endure the political fallout of body bags returning home. Take the Kargu-2 drone in Libya — an AI-powered killer that hunted and neutralised its targets autonomously. No generals gave the final order. No pilots hesitated. Just cold, calculated elimination.
The “TikTok-ification” of War
What happens when war becomes as easy as deploying an AI-powered drone swarm?
Smaller nations and non-state actors now have access to lethal autonomy. Russia, Turkey, and Iran have already deployed off-the-shelf AI-powered drones in combat zones with devastating effect. These weapons don’t require billion-dollar defense budgets — just a skilled hacker and a commercially available drone.
The 2022 AI drone strike in Yemen, which killed 13 civilians with zero human oversight, illustrates the new reality: AI is making decisions that no one is accountable for. Unlike a soldier or a general, an AI system can’t be put on trial for war crimes. And that’s precisely the problem.
AI-Powered Escalation: The New Cold War
AI is compressing the OODA loop (Observe, Orient, Decide, Act) from hours to seconds. In high-stakes conflict scenarios, this acceleration could lead to accidental nuclear escalation.
We’ve already had close calls. In 1983, Soviet officer Stanislav Petrov prevented a nuclear war by realising that a radar glitch was NOT a U.S. missile attack. Had an AI been in control instead of a rational human, we might not be here to have this discussion.
Yet, world powers are rushing forward:
We are witnessing the dawn of automated conflict.
The UN has repeatedly called for a ban on autonomous weapons, with Secretary-General António Guterres warning that outsourcing life-and-death decisions to algorithms is a moral failing.
But military leaders see it differently. Pentagon AI chief Craig Martell argues that AI could reduce civilian casualties by eliminating human error. The argument? AI doesn’t panic, doesn’t misfire, and doesn’t suffer from bias — making it a better decision-maker than humans in combat.
Who’s right?
For years, AI was about convenience, automation, and innovation. Now, it’s about power, control, and survival.
If AI continues to advance unchecked, we risk entering an era where war isn’t just thinkable — it’s a click away.
This is no longer science fiction. It’s happening now.
Shimazaki Sentinel is redefining security in an AI-driven world where war is no longer a calculated risk but an automated decision. With the rapid militarisation of AI, cyber warfare, and cognitive manipulation, our two divisions — Global Security, Geopolitical Intelligence & Digital Counterterrorism and Behavioural Intelligence, Threat Psychology & Cognitive Risk — are at the forefront of safeguarding organisations, governments, and societies. From countering AI-driven cyber threats to combating disinformation and influence operations, we provide proactive intelligence and security strategies to navigate the evolving landscape of digital and geopolitical conflict. The future of warfare is unfolding now — Shimazaki Sentinel ensures you stay ahead of it.