AI targeting creates 'automation bias' where operators trust the machine over their own judgment

Studies from aviation and medical AI show that when an AI system recommends an action, human operators accept the recommendation 92-97% of the time, even when the recommendation contradicts their own assessment. Applied to military targeting, this means an operator who sees an AI-flagged target is psychologically predisposed to approve the strike even if their own analysis suggests the target may be civilian. The 'human in the loop' becomes a formality. This persists because automation bias is a fundamental cognitive phenomenon -- humans defer to systems they perceive as more capable -- and no military training program has developed effective countermeasures to automation bias in targeting decisions.