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Operation Epic Fury uses AI battlefield management to hit hundreds of targets in hours

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Operation Epic Fury uses AI battlefield management to hit hundreds of targets in hours


The Pentagon logo is seen behind the podium in the briefing room at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, U.S., January 8, 2020.— Reuters 

A Pentagon AI programme called Project Maven is at the centre of the US strikes against Iran and potentially one of the most consequential transformations of modern warfare.

What is it?

Project Maven is the Pentagon’s flagship artificial intelligence program, launched in 2017 as a narrow experiment to help military analysts make sense of the torrent of drone footage pouring in from conflict zones.

Operators were drowning in imagery, searching frame by frame for objects of interest that might appear for only a moment before vanishing. Maven was built to find the needle in the haystack.

Eight years later, the program has evolved into something far more expansive: an AI-assisted targeting and battlefield management system that has vastly accelerated what is known in war-making as the kill chain — the process from initial detection to destruction.

How does it work?

Maven functions like both the air traffic control of battle and its cockpit.

Aalok Mehta, director of the CSIS Wadhwani AI Center, described the system as “essentially an overlay” that fuses sensor data, enemy troop intelligence, satellite imagery, and information on troop deployment.

In practice, that means rapidly scanning satellite feeds to detect troop movements or identify targets, while also “taking a snapshot of the operational theater” to determine the best course of action for striking a specific target.

In a recent demonstration posted online, a Pentagon official described how Maven “magically” turns an observed threat into a targeting workflow, weighing available assets and presenting a commander with options.

The emergence of ChatGPT was another leap forward, broadening the use of the technology to a far greater range of users who can interact with Maven in natural language.

For now, this capability is supplied by Anthropic’s Claude — though that arrangement is coming to a bitter end after the Pentagon bristled at the AI lab’s demand that its model not be used for fully automated strikes or the tracking of US citizens.

Why did Google say no?

The ethical question was a factor in Maven’s early years, when Google was the program’s original AI contractor.

In 2018, more than 3,000 employees signed an open letter protesting the company’s involvement, arguing that the contract crossed a line. Several engineers resigned.

Google declined to renew when the contract expired, and subsequently published AI principles explicitly ruling out participation in weapons systems.

The episode exposed a fault line in Silicon Valley between engineers who viewed autonomous targeting as an ethical red line and defense officials who saw it as essential.

More recently, Google removed its AI policy restrictions and said it is leaning further into national security work. The Pentagon has said that Google, along with xAI and OpenAI, are in the mix to replace Claude in Maven.

What is Palantir’s role?

In 2024, Palantir — founded in part with CIA seed funding and built from the start around government intelligence work — stepped into the space Google vacated.

The company has reportedly become Maven’s primary technology contractor, and its AI now forms the operational backbone of the program.

Palantir CEO Alex Karp frames the stakes explicitly.

“This is a have, have-not world,” he said at a recent Palantir event, arguing that it was important for the West to achieve capabilities the rest of the world lacked.

A system that compresses a kill chain from hours to seconds makes an adversary obsolete, he said.

How has it fared?

The Pentagon and Palantir declined to comment on Maven’s performance in the current war with Iran.

US strikes have been carried out at a sustained pace, and it can be assumed that Maven’s ability to speed up the targeting and firing process has played a central role.

According to the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, after three weeks, the US strike campaign settled into a pace of between 300 and 500 targets per day.

In the first 24 hours of Operation Epic Fury, US forces struck over 1,000 targets, including a school housed in a building previously used as a military complex, according to various media reports. Iran has said the attack killed 168 children aged seven to 12 and wounded many other people.





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Meghan Markle makes statement as William scones remark takes unexpected turn

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Meghan Markle makes statement as William scones remark takes unexpected turn


Meghan Markle took a coy approach as she appeared to have doubled down on her stance after a new debate was triggered involving Prince William.

It was believed that the Duchess of Sussex had made a direct attempt to get the future King’s attention with a bold move, knowing fully-well how critical the dynamics are between Prince Harry and William.

The discussion, on the surface, seems to be merely about scones, but experts believes there is something more to it. Eagle-eyed royal watchers noted that only hours after William shared his preferred method to eat the famous British tea-time snack, Meghan’s As Ever had shared a post about scones.

As the debate made headlines over the weekend, Meghan seemed to have reacted to the whole thing with a statement, somewhat confirming suspicions.

“Inspired by the jams Meghan has created in her own kitchen and shared over the years, each spread reflects a small-batch, carefully balanced approach to flavour,” a message read on As Ever alongside a video of the founder.

“Bright and fruit-forward with just a hint of tartness and a whisper of lemon, these spreads are crafted to highlight each fruit’s natural essence without overpowering it.”

In the brief video clip, Meghan shared her family’s preferred jams – Harry likes raspberry, Lilibet likes strawberry and Archie likes both.

The relations between the Sussexes and the Waleses are still at an impasse even though King Charles has begun warming up to his younger son.

Meghan’s move has earned mixed reactions, where some believe this is her usual tactic to steal the spotlight from the royals, other suggest this could be an icebreaker to get a conversation moving between them.





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Zayn Malik thanks fans after ‘epic’ Konnakol Tour opening night

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Zayn Malik thanks fans after ‘epic’ Konnakol Tour opening night


Zayn Malik thanks fans after ‘epic’ Konnakol Tour opening night

Zayn Malik is overwhelmed with gratitude as fans continue showering him with love and support after The Konnakol Tour launch.

Shortly after wrapping up the opening night of his first-ever headlining arena and stadium tour since his One Direction days, the former boy band star took to social media to thank his supporters.

On Sunday, May 24, the Dusk Till Dawn hitmaker shared a series of photos and a video, featuring some behind-the-scenes glimpse, highlights from the first show and a peek into the prep.

“Night 1 LONDON 02!!! Big thanks to everyone that came out and turned up!” he captioned the carousel. “That was epic ! [red heart emoji].”

The Pillowtalk chart-topper kicked off the 31-date global trek, supporting his fifth studio album of the same name, on Saturday, May 23, at the O2 Arena in London.

Standup comedian Usama Siddiquee was selected alongside DJ Lonyo to provide the opening entertainment to get the arena crowd energised before the 33-year-old singer took the stage.

Taking to his Instagram Stories, Zayn gave a shout out to the fast-rising Bengali-American comedian, writer, and actor.

“@usamastandsup you’re a legend bro,” he wrote over an image of himself watching Usman dominating the stage. “Thank you!”

Zayn Malik thanks fans after epic Konnakol Tour opening night

In the following update the Die For Me singer reposted the America’s Got Talent semifinalist’s story.

The text over the duo’s picture read, “Thanks for having me bro.”

Zayn officially announced the Don’t Tell Comedy star as the comedy opener for the major UK arena dates, including the opening night at London’s O2 Arena on followed by the Manchester AO Arena on May 24. 





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‘Teen Mom’ star’s wife taken into police custody for DUI

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‘Teen Mom’ star’s wife taken into police custody for DUI


‘Teen Mom’ star’s wife taken into police custody for DUI

Amanda Conner, wife of Teen Mom star Ryan Edwards, was arrested on Sunday morning near Chattanooga, Tennessee, and charged with driving under the influence and child abuse and neglect after allegedly getting behind the wheel with the couple’s baby daughter in the car.

According to TMZ, which first reported the arrest, Conner was also charged with driving on the wrong side of the road. 

A dispatch call obtained by the outlet indicated that it was her husband who alerted police, having grown concerned that she may have taken narcotics before leaving the house with the baby. 

Her bond was set at $16,000, and she had not been released by 4:30 p.m. local time on Sunday. A court hearing has been scheduled for 3 June.

Conner, 35, and Edwards, 37, married in September 2025, just some time after he finalised his divorce from his previous wife, Mackenzie Standifer.

The pair had been friends for years before beginning a relationship in September 2023. Together they share a one-year-old daughter, Presley, who was in the car at the time of the alleged incident.

The arrest arrives against a complicated family backdrop. 

Edwards has had a well-documented history of addiction and legal troubles stretching back years, including a 2023 court order requiring him to seek help for substance abuse following a series of arrests involving Standifer. 

He is also father to Bentley, 17, with fellow Teen Mom original cast member Maci Bookout, as well as Jagger, 7, and Stella, 6, with Standifer.

Bookout, who married Taylor McKinney in 2016 and shares two children with him, has spoken candidly in the past about the toll Edwards’ struggles have taken. 

“Obviously, when things first went down with Ryan and him having to go to jail and making stupid decisions and stuff, I definitely had a breaking point then,” she shared. 

She described therapy and self-compassion as the tools that helped her through. 

“I think the therapy I had done previously… and just making sure that I check in with myself and that I give myself grace and that I let myself fall apart and then pick myself back up is a game changer.”





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