Overview
- The Pentagon sharply shrank its Civilian Protection Center of Excellence and similar teams across commands, leaving only a handful of CHMR staff to advise on civilian harm mitigation.
- Officials report the department has substituted AI systems such as Palantir’s Maven Smart System and the military’s AskSage for many analysis tasks previously done by human CHMR personnel.
- Remaining CHMR staff say they have been barred from probing major incidents, with reporting noting they were not allowed to investigate the Minab elementary school strike that caused large civilian loss of life.
- The Pentagon paused development of a civilian‑harm incident database and told outside monitors it lacks the infrastructure to process casualty reports, which watchdogs say reduces transparency and documentation.
- Lawmakers have raised formal concerns about the shift, warning that cuts plus AI use risk faulty targeting, weaker alliances, and greater harm to civilians while the department faces increased public and congressional oversight.