AI Warfare and Autonomous Weapons: FT Investigation
Golem.de points to a Financial Times investigation into drones that search for their own targets; the piece sits behind a paywall.
In short
Golem.de has published a subscriber piece arguing that the age of AI warfare has begun, built on a Financial Times investigation into autonomous weapons, but the full text sits behind a consent and subscription gate that we could not pass.
At a glance
- Headline at Golem.de: the age of AI warfare has begun, published as a paid Golem plus piece.
- Stated basis: a wide-ranging Financial Times investigation into autonomous weapons.
- FT bylines named in the teaser: Alison Killing, John Thornhill and Charles Clover.
- Themes in the teaser: drones that find their own targets, AI systems that draft battle plans.
- Unverified: figures, system names and evidence from the FT reporting, as the full text was gated.
German technology news site Golem.de has posted a subscriber article headlined, in German, that the age of AI warfare has begun. It points readers to a Financial Times investigation into autonomous weapons. Only the free teaser was visible when we retrieved the page, so everything below rests on that teaser.
What the teaser states
Two threads are named. The first is drones that pick out targets on their own; the second is AI systems that draft battle plans. The teaser credits the underlying reporting to Alison Killing, John Thornhill and Charles Clover at the Financial Times, and files the story under military and AI. Nothing beyond that is readable without a subscription.
What stays unverified here
We cannot say which weapons programs the Financial Times examined, which armed forces field them, or what documents and interviews support the reporting. No figures, vendor names or deployment locations appear in this article, because none were available to read. The headline claim is the framing chosen by that outlet, not a finding we were able to check.
Why the question matters
Machine target selection moves a judgement that has always been human into software, and it moves the question of accountability along with it. Judging by the teaser, that is the terrain the Financial Times reporting covers. The specifics remain behind the wall.
What would change this article
If an openly accessible version of the reporting appears, we will add the concrete systems and numbers it documents. Until then, treat this entry as a pointer to a source rather than a digest of it.
FAQ
What is the Golem article about AI warfare?
According to its teaser, it frames a Financial Times investigation into autonomous weapons, covering drones that select their own targets and AI systems that draft battle plans.
Who wrote the Financial Times investigation into autonomous weapons?
The Golem.de teaser credits Alison Killing, John Thornhill and Charles Clover. Further detail about the investigation was not retrievable for us.
Can I read the Golem article for free?
No. It is marked as a Golem plus piece. When we requested it, only the teaser was served; the article body required consent or a subscription.
