US provides Saudi Arabia with AI targeting tool — Deutsche Welle

The United States is providing Saudi Arabia with intelligence support, including an artificial intelligence-based targeting tool, amid attacks by Yemen's Houthi group. This was reported by Deutsche Welle, citing a September CNN report that quoted unnamed US officials.

According to CNN, between 100 and 200 US military personnel are in Saudi Arabia as part of a new joint command. They are helping the Saudi side use a system that enables military personnel to see the battlefield situation in real time.

Officials told CNN that the tool used in Saudi Arabia is similar to the Maven Smart System. The US military has also used MSS to find targets in Iran, Iraq and Syria.

How the Maven Smart System works

The Maven Smart System originated from Project Maven, the flagship US program for the use of artificial intelligence in the military sphere, launched in 2017. The platform collects, organizes and visualizes large streams of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance data, including from satellite feeds and drone cameras.

More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.

The system detects patterns in the data and flags potential targets, including possible missile launchers, tanks or suspicious vehicle convoys. It can also calculate a method of striking a target. Its use reduces the so-called kill chain — the time between detecting a target, assessing the threat and issuing an order to strike.

According to DW's description, before a strike, a human must verify the target identified by the AI tool and make a decision on further action. At the same time, the outlet notes that this procedure is not always followed.

Technology limitations in Yemen

The Houthis use ballistic missiles mounted on trucks and small drone swarms, operating in Yemen's mountainous and canyon terrain. DW notes that due to their high mobility, their fighters can leave positions before a strike even when AI-assisted targeting is available.

The system's effectiveness may also be reduced by dust storms, strong winds, changes in the desert landscape and deliberately placed decoys. Journalist Antony Loewenstein, who has researched the use of AI in military technologies, expressed doubt that such tools would ensure the defeat of the Houthis and warned of the risk of significant civilian casualties.