sharesShare articleA surge in AI-powered drones in war zones has helped drive the highest number of global conflicts since WWII, according to a new report. The Institute for Economics and Peace’s (IEP) 2026 Global Peace Index found the technology is making life-and-death decisions faster than it can be reviewed by humans for the first time in history. Attacks by both AI and non-AI drones rose by more than 11,500 per cent between 2018 and 2025. APAdvertisementAttacks by both AI and non-AI drones rose by more than 11,500 per cent between 2018 and 2025, partly due to AI reducing targeting times from one day to five seconds. The report found that the Israel Defence Force’s Lavender system flagged 37,000 Palestinians as suspected militants in Gaza, with operators spending an estimated 20 seconds per target despite a 10 per cent error rate. In Ukraine, automated systems are also being used to engage targets without an operator. With only 75 of 193 United Nations member states participating in the OECD’s AI principles, IEP founder Steve Killelea said the impacts of the declining rate of meaningful human oversight are considerable.Read moreChatGPT owner preparing $1 trillion Wall Street push“As the ‘Great Fragmentation’ intensifies, the institutions of peace are being outpaced by rapid changes in geopolitics and technology, and governments are struggling to keep up,” he said. “AI and autonomous drone technology are making life and death decisions with human oversight reduced to seconds.“At the same time, governance systems are lagging behind real-world events as civilian casualties soar.”AdvertisementNSW Police watching over Bondi Beach days after the December terrorist attack. Sitthixay DitthavongThe Global Peace Index report found that world peacefulness deteriorated for the 12th consecutive year as the number of active conflicts reached 61. It was the highest number since the end of WWII. A record 99 countries saw a deterioration in their Global Peace Index in the past year, which was the highest number since the index was created 20 years ago.AdvertisementAdvertisementThe report found the war in Iran has acted as a geopolitical force “multiplier”, by worsening existing conflicts and spreading instability. Read moreUkraine launches blitz on Russia after Putin snubs peace talks offerThe Global Peace Index ranked Russia as the least peaceful country in the world, followed by Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ukraine and Israel. On the other end of the spectrum, Iceland was the most peaceful country for the 19th year in a row, followed by New Zealand, Switzerland, Slovenia and Ireland. AdvertisementAustralia improved its ranking by four places to the 20th most peaceful country despite the Bondi terrorist attack. The December 14 incident led to the largest deterioration on the terrorism impact indicator component of the overall peacefulness, but this was offset by lower weapons trade. Death toll rises after Philippines struck by magnitude 7.8 earthquakeUS-Iran war Live Updates: US helicopter crashes near the Strait of Hormuz, two rescuedSpencer Pratt blames homeless people as Donald Trump calls election riggedDonald Trump storms out of interview when quizzed about false election claims