The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) has declared the escalating conflict in the Middle East a “major humanitarian emergency” following recent US and Israeli strikes on Iran Ayaki Ito, UNHCR’s emergency chief, stated the crisis has caused large numbers of people to flee their homes and insisted that all fleeing civilians be granted safe passage The agency also highlighted that it is facing a shortage of funds as the conflict obstructs global relief efforts
In a parallel development, the conflict has seen the significant deployment of Artificial Intelligence, according to military experts While the exact uses have yet to be confirmed, experts believe the technology has helped sift intelligence and select targets for the thousands of strikes Laure de Roucy-Rochegonde of the French think tank IFRI noted that “every military power of any significance invests hugely in military applications of AI,” adding that nearly any military function can be boosted by the technology, from logistics to information warfare The use of AI in warfare, however, remains a hotly debated topic concerning human control and accountability
Yasir Rai
