By Justin Pelletier
Publication Date: 2026-02-23 14:05:00
If a coupon suddenly appears on your phone as you approach a store, you may find it convenient and even helpful. But the same AI systems that know where you are and try to influence your purchases can be used to infer what you fear, what you trust, and what stories you are likely to believe. AI-powered marketing algorithms are becoming increasingly better at influencing human behavior.
That raises concerns about what various governments might do with these tools to influence citizens’ views on warfare. A clear look at how governments use these systems can help people and their nations navigate an uncertain future.
I am a security researcher who studies ways to explore and characterize the risks that technology poses to individuals and society. Increasing AI-mediated influence has raised questions about the erosion of people’s ability to exercise their free will, and therefore society’s ability to distinguish a just war from an unjust war.
