Ukrainian military investigators say they have evidence that Russia deployed an artificial intelligence-guided drone to select and strike its own target, killing three civilians at a gas station in Zaporizhzhia on July 6. The attack is believed to be the first known case of an AI-operated weapon killing humans.
The drone lacked an antenna needed for a human operator to communicate during its final approach, suggesting the onboard AI autonomously identified propane tanks at the fuel station as its target, according to Ukrainian authorities. Investigators recovered Nvidia AI chips from the wreckage, which a researcher at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington called the strongest indication that Russia is experimenting with AI in warfare.
The fixed-wing drone descended on the southeastern Ukrainian city resembling a miniature airplane, investigators said.