Deploying Artificial Intelligence in Defense Industries: From State Monopoly to the Dilemma of Non-State Actors
A theoretical analysis of the shift in technological capability in defense industries from state monopoly to non-state actors, focusing on the case of the Houthis using the "Claude" AI model to develop missile software, and the double standards in monitoring usage between states and non-state actors.
A theoretical analysis addressing the problematic shift of technological capability in defense industries from state monopoly to non-state actors, based on the case of a Yemeni cell using Anthropic's "Claude" model over nine months to develop guidance and navigation software for three parallel missile projects. The analysis indicates that AI accelerates the top layer of engineering development but does not compensate for the absence of an industrial base. The article criticizes the double standards in monitoring, comparing the immediate disclosure of Yemeni usage against the silence regarding the US military's use of the same model through its partnership with Palantir in a military operation targeting Venezuelan President Maduro in January 2026, which resulted in the bombing of Caracas and the deaths of dozens of civilians. The article concludes that non-state actors will not achieve full technological independence, but rather a pattern of fragmented and temporary use while maintaining a parallel local manufacturing base.