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The Vietnam War, with its devastating consequences, left indelible scars on the lands and minds of an entire region. More than 7.5 million tonnes bombs were dropped, accompanied by 74 million liters of herbicides, including the infamous agent orange. Today, modern technologies, in particularartificial intelligence, which allow us to highlight these forgotten traces and analyze their deep and lasting impacts. Thanks to recently declassified images and advances in machine learning, researchers can now explore in new ways the impact of this conflict on the landscape and surrounding populations.
The use of theartificial intelligence allows us to better understand and document the lasting consequences left by the Vietnam War. By analyzing historical data and recently declassified images, this technology offers new insights into the environmental, health and societal impacts of this conflict, revealing many hidden wounds that persist to this day.
Chemical warfare rediscovered
During the Vietnam War, a massive amount of over 7.5 million tons of bombs were dropped on Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos by American forces. In addition to these explosive attacks, more than 74 million liters ofherbicides, including the infamous agent orange, were pulverized as part of the operation Ranch Hand. The strategic goal was to defoliate the jungles, making the movements of rebel forces visible and destroying their agricultural livelihoods. The environmental consequences of this intensive and systematic use of chemicals are now being brought to light by artificial intelligence, which analyzes historical satellite images and environmental data to reveal areas that are still contaminated.
Lingering human wounds
The end of the war did not mean an end to the suffering for local populations. Today, approximately 20% of the land in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos is still polluted by unexploded ordnance, putting the lives of locals at risk. AI technologies are helping to map these dangerous areas, aiding mine clearance and accident prevention efforts. In addition, the toxic legacy of Agent Orange continues to cause serious illness in exposed populations, questioning the taint of chemical warfare and the moral implications of such practices.
Modernized socio-economic responses
In early 2023, Vietnam initiated a major modernization of its educational infrastructure, integratingartificial intelligence into the academic curricula of fifty of its higher education institutions. This initiative aims to equip future generations with the tools needed to not only seize the economic opportunities of advanced technologies, but also to better address the challenges posed by the still palpable legacy of war. With AI, researchers and students can analyze large amounts of historical and current data to find innovative solutions to persistent problems caused by war.
The ethical questions raised by AI in the military domain
The growing use of artificial intelligence in the military context is also sparking intense ethical debates. While AI offers unprecedented surveillance power and impressive analytical capacity to manage the aftermath of past conflicts, it also poses questions about the degree of human control in military decision-making. Could the transformation of war through AI amplify the devastating effects of future conflicts, or on the contrary, be part of a more preventive and humanist vision of war? These reflections remain central to discussions on the future of technology in the military context.
