Comment on Microsoft says it provided AI to Israeli military for war but denies use to harm people in Gaza
sxan@midwest.social 3 weeks ago
When other countries have better, more modern-looking tanks, it really underscores how much the US is falling behind. I mean, we spend more money on defense than the next 6 countries combined, and we’ve got… the Abrams. The same basic tank frame we’ve been using since I was in the Army, in the 80’s.
The Armata looks goofy, and like a step backward from the T-90. But this Merkava looks like I always imagined a Bolo would look. And, hey! Turns out it might have being fired by an AI!
Looks are not specs, and I have no idea how Israel were using Microsoft’s software, or whether it was in the Merkova. I’m just rambling, because, dang, that’s a sexy tank, and I’m not particularly a tank guy.
Big Caveat: Oh, and yeah, this is unrelated to the fact that Israel is perpetrating a genocide in Palestine. I’m not being cavalier about the genocide, or war, or weapons of war; I was just captivated by the photo. I’m sure I’d feel differently if one had ever been shooting at me, and I’m sorry for all those innocents: truly, if you or your’s was a victim, I don’t intend to trivialize your suffering.
jonne@infosec.pub 3 weeks ago
Then again, with how tanks are getting chewed up on both sides of the Ukrainian conflict, they might not be something to invest too much in. Israel is even losing tanks to home made RPGs in Gaza.
sxan@midwest.social 3 weeks ago
Right now, Ukraine is teaching the world about what innovation and access to relatively high tech can impact the battlefield. I think that just took everyone by surprise, and I have no doubt the US military - or, rather, companies who manufacture arms - are furiously developing counters for specifically this. Even Russia is necessarily innovating, even if it’s just by trial and error and often ineffectively.
Defense always trails offense. It’s simply a harder job to protect than destroy. I don’t think drones dropping mortars are going to remain that effective, and if you think tanks have it hard, imagine Russia’s invasion without tanks. Tanks is still king of the the ground offensive.
middlemanSI@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
…as they should.