AI Sniper Rifle used by Israel to assassinate nuclear scientist

As artificial intelligence grows in intelligence, militaries are incorporating the tech into their arsenal. From Minority Report style predictive AI to anti-aging research, AI is steadily being introduced to everything. In one bizarre example, the Israeli military has created an AI Sniper Rifle.

AI Sniper Rifle used by Israeli military

Reported by The New York Times, Israeli operatives carried out an assassination mission with an AI Sniper Rifle. Conducted in November 2020, the Israeli military used a “souped-up, remote-controlled” rifle to kill Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh. The military had been chasing the target “for at least 14 years”.

The Rifle is said to have been remote operated “at an undisclosed location more than 1,000 miles away”. After being set up earlier, the remote gunman fired multiple rounds at Fakhrizadeh without any danger of being killed.

The “7.62-mm sniper machine gun” is reported to be assisted by AI. Presumably to account for lag and aiming, AI can help secure a shot. On the other hand, the AI Sniper Rifle can reportedly fire a total of 600 rounds to secure a target’s death.

Watch: Tesla self-driving AI swerves towards pedestrians in viral video

The future of espionage

The New York Times reports that the Israeli military’s AI weapons are reshaping modern warfare. Until now, combat drones capable of firing bullets mid-air have been the go-to for remote operations.

However, drones are far from silent. Furthermore, they draw additional attention from being the only thing moving through the air. While remote weapons like Israel’s AI gun may require planning and setup, they potentially offer better results.

Read More: Training AI is becoming exponentially more resource intensive