Dana Taylor

What makes this conflict so different with regards to AI?

There's an old terminology that I want to bring in here, and that's the kill chain, a chain of events that starts with identifying a target and ends with an attack.

At what strategic point in the kill chain is AI being used?

Look, what guardrails are there for ensuring that a target is a legitimate military one and not, say, a girls' school, as happened on day one of the conflict?

And developers of AI technology, including Claude and Maven, two of the most widely used AI tools, have voiced their concerns about the use of AI in warfare, specifically with regards to autonomous weapons systems versus decision support systems.

Can you talk me through that distinction and how that plays out on the battlefield?

Is there an ethical line when it comes to using AI in warfare?

Look, when you think about the key role AI is playing in this war in Iran, what do you worry about most?

Really appreciate your time, Alok.

Thank you so much for hopping on the excerpt.

As I mentioned earlier, the other battle playing out in the war in Iran is the one for hearts and minds.

It's taking place largely on social media.

Today, I'm joined by USA Today producer and host Zuleika Nathoo, who's breaking down for us how generative AI is having an impact on the war's narrative.

And thank you, Zuleika, for joining us as well.

Zuleika Nathoo is a USA Today producer and host with our special projects team.

Thanks for having me, Dana.

Thanks to Kaylee Monahan, Zuleika Nathoo, and Lamar Salter for their production assistance, our executive producers, Laura Beatty.

Let us know what you think of this episode by sending a note to podcasts at usatoday.com.

Thanks for listening.

I'm Dana Taylor.