This opinion essay argues that artificial intelligence is intensifying a form of warfare the author calls “hyperwar,” while weakening political accountability and the protection of civilian life. It centers on the article’s account of a strike on an elementary school in Minab, Iran, where faulty intelligence allegedly contributed to the deaths of 120 children, and says the incident was later characterized by the UN as involving evidence of a war crime. The essay also cites NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang’s prediction that the war would leave the Middle East more stable, presenting it as an example of technology leaders’ confidence in military outcomes. It describes Israel’s machine-learning system The Gospel as capable of generating up to 100 bombing targets in Gaza per day, framing it as an example of AI-assisted destruction. The author rejects the idea that the United States or China can meaningfully “win” an AI war, arguing that technological dominance cannot repair the human costs of violence or replace moral judgment. Drawing on Klein and Taylor’s concept of “End Times Fascism,” the essay calls for recognizing the crisis, building broad democratic coalitions, and pursuing accountability alongside economic and political systems centered on care and repair.
