The U.S. Air Force revealed recently that it had used artificial intelligence to aid targeting decisions for the first time. It turns out that this was not simply a test: AI is embedded in the Air Force's targeting operation, raising serious questions. Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall told the Air Force Association's Air, Space & Cyber Conference in National Harbor, Maryland on Sept. 20, that the Air Force had "deployed AI algorithms for the first time to a live operational kill chain." He did not give details of the strike, whether it was by a drone or piloted aircraft, and if there were civilian casualties. The "kill chain" is the entire province in which data gathered by various sensors is analyzed, targets selected and strikes planned and ordered and the results evaluated. AI takes some of the burden off human analysts, who spend thousands of hours searching through video footage trying to find, locate and positively identify targets.