With militaries increasingly relying on artificial intelligence, data centers have emerged as new targets for strikes.
In retaliation for the ongoing U.S.–Israeli war, Iran responded with a novel form of counterattack. For the first time in military history, private sector data centers came under deliberate attack.
In an era when companies known for e-commerce, social networks, and search engines have also become close collaborators with militaries, is bombing their servers fair game?
Three days after the U.S. and Israel began their joint bombardment, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched kamikaze drone strikes against Amazon-owned data centers in the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain that provide an array of cloud computing services to customers throughout the Middle East. The impacts and subsequent fires “caused structural damage, disrupted power delivery to our infrastructure, and in some cases required fire suppression activities that resulted in additional water damage,” according to Amazon, resulting in service outages across the region.
The motive behind the attack, according to Iranian state television, was not to block people from ordering groceries or posting to social media, but rather to highlight “the role of these centers in supporting the enemy’s military and intelligence activities.
It certainly makes sense. AWS hosts infrastructure specifically for the US FedGov. That infrastructure includes systems for the US DoD. So, that makes it a valid military target. And while cyber attacks can do a lot to degrade command and control, nothing DoS’s a server farm like a few hundred kilos of high explosives.
Civilians and their property have been targets in war for centuries if not millennia. This is nothing new, and it’s absolutely a valid way to end a war against a nation that is even marginally democratic.
If the people electing the leaders don’t support the war, then, in theory, the war will end.
It worked for Vietnam. There was finally enough pushback from the people that not only did the US pull it’s troops, but there was an anti war sentiment across the entire nation for at least a decade beyond it.
This is why there’s so much propaganda against our “enemies” these days, to ensure that the people keep seeing them as enemies and not as people.
Targeting civilians can get them to support the war a lot more because fuck that guy bombing us.
Targeting corporate assets, especially if the people generally dislike the corporations? That is far more interesting. I don’t know if there are many good examples of that. I suspect you may see an increasing hatred towards government and corporations from the people while corporations will lobby governments to do more to defend their things.
I never worked on the warships, but the shipyard built them. I worked on building other vessels.
And I am not saying it’s not a valid target. I’m saying I am a civilian. That’s my whole point. The people working at these targets you just admitted to ARE CIVILIANS.
The worst thing to happen in war was making it “nicer”.
Since it’s no longer quite so brutal, the people involved may not necessarily even care.
You think that if Americans weren’t seeing their homes destroyed for supporting a war of conquest, that more of us would stop supporting the endless wars pushed by our politicians?
And don’t even try that “oh it’s the Retardicans doing it” when plenty of Dumbocrats have bombed other nations in the name of “peace” fucking hypocrites.
On the one hand. Though luck i can’t really give enough f about Amazon to care.
On the other hand if it will become more common prices of ram will go even higher.
Ehhh
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huh, guess my habit for picking smaller indie providers is paying off.
If you’re going to use AI in a military capacity, I’d say the infrastructure to support it becomes a perfectly valid target.
It certainly makes sense. AWS hosts infrastructure specifically for the US FedGov. That infrastructure includes systems for the US DoD. So, that makes it a valid military target. And while cyber attacks can do a lot to degrade command and control, nothing DoS’s a server farm like a few hundred kilos of high explosives.
Yeah. If your company has military contracts, you’re a valid target.
So Amazon, Facebook, Google, Anthropic, SpaceX, and all the other Hitler orgs. Fuck em.
Of course it is.
Companies that have their AI being used for war are valid military targets, no doubt about that.
How many moral lines exist behind bombing elementary schools?
We asked several western publications and their answers might surprise you.
This shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone, and certainly not anyone in an executive or military role.
Civilians and their property have been targets in war for centuries if not millennia. This is nothing new, and it’s absolutely a valid way to end a war against a nation that is even marginally democratic.
If the people electing the leaders don’t support the war, then, in theory, the war will end.
It worked for Vietnam. There was finally enough pushback from the people that not only did the US pull it’s troops, but there was an anti war sentiment across the entire nation for at least a decade beyond it.
This is why there’s so much propaganda against our “enemies” these days, to ensure that the people keep seeing them as enemies and not as people.
Targeting civilians can get them to support the war a lot more because fuck that guy bombing us.
Targeting corporate assets, especially if the people generally dislike the corporations? That is far more interesting. I don’t know if there are many good examples of that. I suspect you may see an increasing hatred towards government and corporations from the people while corporations will lobby governments to do more to defend their things.
Except they’re not civilians or civilian infrastructure if they are providing munitions to the military
Who do think works at munitions factories, and shipyards, and aircraft manufacturing plants if not civilians?
Morally neutral and innocent civilians, of course 😇
Those aren’t civilians. Those are people who work for the military.
If you work for the military, you are not a civilian
Excuse me??? I worked for a private shipyard, so did my dad, that shipyard was also contracted to build naval ships.
I have never, not once, been in the military.
That is the literal definition of a civilian.
If you built war ships, you were a valid target.
Your residential housing wasn’t, but your place of employment certainly was
I never worked on the warships, but the shipyard built them. I worked on building other vessels.
And I am not saying it’s not a valid target. I’m saying I am a civilian. That’s my whole point. The people working at these targets you just admitted to ARE CIVILIANS.
The worst thing to happen in war was making it “nicer”.
Since it’s no longer quite so brutal, the people involved may not necessarily even care.
You think that if Americans weren’t seeing their homes destroyed for supporting a war of conquest, that more of us would stop supporting the endless wars pushed by our politicians?
And don’t even try that “oh it’s the Retardicans doing it” when plenty of Dumbocrats have bombed other nations in the name of “peace” fucking hypocrites.
I recommend going on strike and demanding that your place of work no longer allows military contracts.
Get rid of the Bezos servers, Iran. 🫡
Soon They will be domestic targets too. I guarantee it
On the one hand. Though luck i can’t really give enough f about Amazon to care. On the other hand if it will become more common prices of ram will go even higher. Ehhh