Palantir Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:PLTR) CTO Shyam Sankar disputed claims that the company’s AI software contributed to a strike that killed at least 123 schoolchildren on Feb. 28 in Minab, Iran.
Sankar discussed AI-assisted military targeting during an interview on CBS "Face the Nation" on Sunday. He said AI can speed military planning, including operations involving 1,000 strikes, while helping personnel review no-strike lists and identify locations near civilian infrastructure.
Asked about a report alleging that personnel relied too heavily on Palantir’s Maven system during attacks in Iran, Sankar called the account “inaccurate” and urged the public to await the final report.
The CTO said, “the likely cause is human error,” though he did not provide a definitive conclusion. Sankar also said Palantir quickly developed additional AI agents to independently check information and reduce the risk of another incident.
Human Error, AI Risks Fuel Military Debate
The strike has drawn scrutiny beyond Palantir’s software. A March report said an ongoing U.S. military investigation pointed to a targeting mistake involving a Tomahawk missile that struck Minab’s Shajarah Tayyebeh elementary school on Feb. 28. That account suggested that outdated data and basic human error, rather than AI, may have caused the deadly strike.
The debate comes as military organizations expand their use of autonomous and AI-enabled systems. Last week, Sarah Yager, OpenAI’s first human rights and responsible deployment lead, warned that "everyone is very worried" about AI’s role in armed conflict and autonomous weapons.
Yager said human rights and international laws governing warfare should serve as the baseline for AI use in military scenarios. She warned against letting AI companies define ethical standards themselves, arguing that industry-led oversight could lead to unchecked practices.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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