Study uses AI to estimate unexploded bombs from Vietnam War

Researchers have used artificial intelligence to detect Vietnam War-era bomb craters in Cambodia from satellite images – with the hope that it can help find unexploded bombs. The new method increased true bomb crater detection by more than 160 percent over standard methods. The model, combined with declassified U.S. military records, suggests that 44 to 50 percent of the bombs in the area studied may remain unexploded. As of now, attempts to find and safely remove unexploded bombs and landmines – called demining – has not been as effective as needed in Cambodia, said Erin Lin, assistant professor of political science at The Ohio State University. She cites a recent UN-commissioned report that has criticized the Cambodian national clearance agency for presenting a picture of rapid progress by focusing on areas at minimal or no risk of having unexploded mines.