AI-powered drones drive worst global situation since WWII
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A surge in AI-powered drones in war zones has helped drive the highest number of global conflicts since WWII, according to a new report.
The Institute for Economics and Peace’s (IEP) 2026 Global Peace Index found the technology is making life-and-death decisions faster than it can be reviewed by humans for the first time in history.
Attacks by both AI and non-AI drones rose by more than 11,500 per cent between 2018 and 2025. AP
Attacks by both AI and non-AI drones rose by more than 11,500 per cent between 2018 and 2025, partly due to AI reducing targeting times from one day to five seconds.
The report found that the Israel Defence Force’s Lavender system flagged 37,000 Palestinians as suspected militants in Gaza, with operators spending an estimated 20 seconds per target despite a 10 per cent error rate.
In Ukraine, automated systems are also being used to engage targets without an operator.
With only 75 of 193 United Nations member states participating in the OECD’s AI principles, IEP founder Steve Killelea said the impacts of the declining rate of meaningful human oversight are considerable.
“As the ‘Great Fragmentation’ intensifies, the institutions of peace are being outpaced by rapid changes in geopolitics and technology, and governments are struggling to keep up,” he said.
“AI and autonomous drone technology are making life and death decisions with human oversight reduced to seconds.
“At the same time, governance systems are lagging behind real-world events as civilian casualties soar.”
NSW Police watching over Bondi Beach days after the December terrorist attack. Sitthixay Ditthavong
The Global Peace Index report found that world peacefulness deteriorated for the 12th consecutive year as the number of active conflicts reached 61.
It was the highest number since the end of WWII.
A record 99 countries saw a deterioration in their Global Peace Index in the past year, which was the highest number since the index was created 20 years ago.
The report found the war in Iran has acted as a geopolitical force “multiplier”, by worsening existing conflicts and spreading instability.
The Global Peace Index ranked Russia as the least peaceful country in the world, followed by Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ukraine and Israel.
On the other end of the spectrum, Iceland was the most peaceful country for the 19th year in a row, followed by New Zealand, Switzerland, Slovenia and Ireland.
Australia improved its ranking by four places to the 20th most peaceful country despite the Bondi terrorist attack.
The December 14 incident led to the largest deterioration on the terrorism impact indicator component of the overall peacefulness, but this was offset by lower weapons trade.
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