ISBN: 9780691265148, Princeton University Press, 2025, 240 pages, $32.00 (Hardcover)
Reviewed by: Kennedy Lyon-Lindersmith, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, Florida, United States
In AI, Automation, and War: The Rise of a Military-Tech Complex, Anthony King analyzes current artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities and how AI might impact war. King, a sociologist, has written several books and dozens of research articles on war, has taught war studies courses at the University of Exeter and the University of Warwick, and currently serves as Chair of War Studies at the University of Warwick. The author makes clear in the preface and throughout the book that this work is a dynamic investigation of the integration of AI into the armed forces, with the goal of explaining the role of AI in automation, the role of AI in war, and the possibility of the automation of war. As technology continues to change and militaries continue to adapt, this integration may evolve and different predictions may emerge. Therefore, this book should be used to understand AI, the armed forces, and the relationship between them as it currently stands.
To investigate future possibilities for AI, automation, and war, King introduces the book with various predictions about the automation of war and an explanation of the present-day uses and capabilities of AI before describing his conception of the military-tech complex. King also states throughout the book that making uneducated speculation about future plans or AI capabilities is dangerous, and he therefore provides evidence and caution for all his views.
The basics of artificial intelligence are introduced quickly and concisely. King simplifies information about the various types of AI so that readers do not need a technical background to understand what AI can do. These early chapters provide an important foundation for King’s later explanations and predictions regarding military applications of AI. King’s brief chapter on AI (Chapter 2, “What AI Can Do”) would be valuable to anyone interested in a concise history of AI and a description of its current capabilities, even readers not specifically interested in military applications.
After outlining the basics of AI and its current capabilities, King examines how these technologies have been adopted by both technology companies and armed forces. His descriptions of individual capabilities and military cases remain largely surface-level, which helps make the book accessible to readers without prior knowledge of military AI applications. For readers already familiar with AI capabilities and military operations, however, the discussion may become repetitive. The relationship between technology companies and the armed forces is what King defines as the “military-tech complex,” for which he provides substantial evidence. AI sits at the center of this relationship because it is a technology developed within an industrial context. For militaries to employ AI effectively and remain at the forefront of technological change, King argues, partnerships between the civilian and military sectors are essential.
King situates this argument within the historical context of Silicon Valley, highlighting recent companies and controversies, including employee protests at Google and Microsoft over their involvement in military projects. Despite this history of resistance, the tech sector has experienced a noticeable shift from an independent orientation toward a national security perspective. King examines the roles of Peter Thiel, Elon Musk, Eric Schmidt, Alex Karp, Palmer Luckey, and their associated companies in this realignment toward closer collaboration with the armed forces. During this period, several countries published defense strategies that emphasized AI and automation. King discusses the United States’ Third Offset Strategy and the United Kingdom’s Digital Strategy for Defence, explaining how these strategies underscore the need for partnerships with the tech sector. This emerging alignment is described by King as the military-tech complex.
In the latter portion of the book, King examines specific military functions, including planning, targeting, and cyber operations. The chapter on AI-enabled planning highlights U.S. and UK military structures that support planning functions, as well as software systems already in use, including Torch (an AI-enabled battle-management system), Delta (another battle-management system), and Lattice (Anduril’s open software platform). A subsequent chapter focuses on AI in targeting, with examples such as Project Maven, mass COVID testing in the United Kingdom, and the Israel Defense Forces’ use of an AI system known as The Gospel. King also devotes a chapter to AI in cyber operations, describing cyber tactics employed by Ukraine, Russia, and China. This chapter emphasizes the need for militaries to adopt AI capabilities to defend against adversaries already enabled by AI.
King concludes the book by addressing the appropriate relationship between humans and AI in warfare. He rejects the notion that humans and machines form a “team,” arguing that this framing incorrectly attributes agency to machines. AI does not understand the context of war, nor does it possess independent decision-making capabilities. King maintains that while AI should be integrated into military operations to provide scale, speed, and information, humans must remain commanders and decision-makers. He cautions against placing excessive trust in AI systems.
Overall, AI, Automation, and War argues convincingly that AI has already been used—and will continue to be used—to automate certain military functions, while stopping short of fully replacing human decision-makers. King contends that AI is not automating war in the dystopian manner often feared and supports this claim with real-world examples. His accessible writing style makes the book particularly useful for general readers without prior knowledge of AI, the technology sector, military operations, or defense strategy. Readers with greater familiarity in these areas may find some sections repetitive, but King’s perspective and case studies nonetheless provide a clear understanding of the issues at stake and a grounded analysis that helps address prevailing concerns about the military use of AI.
