Artificial intelligence is no longer just a tool for chatbots and content recommendations — it is increasingly embedded in machines that move, perceive, and act in the physical world. This category, known as physical AI, is now being framed as a defining factor in modern warfare.
MIT Technology Review has compiled a subscriber-only eBook — How AI Is Becoming the Next Military Advisor — drawing together six stories originally published between April 2025 and April 2026. The collection examines how militaries around the world are deploying AI models to support and, in some cases, drive decision-making on the battlefield.
A separate opinion piece published via Microsoft News argues that physical AI "is rewriting the rules of war" and singles out Israel as a country that "can't afford to miss it." The piece draws a clear distinction between general-purpose software AI and physical AI — describing the latter as intelligence built into machines capable of operating and reacting in the real world.
The convergence of these perspectives reflects a growing consensus among defense analysts and technologists: that the next era of military competition will be shaped not just by who has the best software, but by who can deploy intelligent physical systems at scale.
Why it matters: as AI moves from screens into vehicles, drones, and autonomous systems, the gap between nations that embrace physical AI and those that don't could become a decisive military vulnerability.