Missiles are being guided with the assistance of AI in the Middle East.Credit: Eli Basri/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty The escalating conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran has thrown a spotlight on the use of artificial intelligence in warfare. Just one day before the US–Israeli offensive began on 28 February, the US government sidelined one of its main AI suppliers as part of a disagreement that underlines ethical concerns about AI’s use. And this week, academics and legal experts are meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, to discuss lethal autonomous weapons systems and the procurement of AI in the military, as part of long-running efforts to arrive at an international agreement on the ethical or legal uses of AI in warfare. Rapid technological development is outpacing slow international discussions, says political scientist Michael Horowitz at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.…