WASHINGTON, D.C. — It is reported that the Pentagon has been developing systems to use artificial intelligence for threat detection, target identification, and decision support.
Records show artificial intelligence programs currently operate in real-world combat situations on a daily basis. Artificial intelligence systems have been deployed by the U.S. and Israeli militaries in conflicts where they held tactical advantages. Additionally, Ukraine has deployed artificial intelligence systems to counter larger opposing military forces.
Analysis suggests military AI initiatives during the first Trump administration were partially driven by officer frustration over data analysis failures that resulted in troop casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan. The U.S. military collects operational data from sensors, satellites, and human sources. Military planners refer to the process of threat identification and neutralization as the "kill chain."
Plans include the U.S. government initiated a program under the Biden administration to develop fleets of small, AI-enabled drones. This drone program aims to create a cost-effective defense against a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan.
Details reveal Stanford University's Hoover Institution conducted a wargame simulating a U.S.-China military standoff over Taiwan. The simulation involved participants roleplaying both sides of a hypothetical conflict set in May 2026. The wargame took place in a conference room located in Washington, D.C. According to the simulation script, an AI-enabled defensive system malfunctioned and fired on a U.S. vessel. Jacquelyn Schneider serves as the director of the Hoover Wargaming and Crisis Simulation Initiative. "Lately, the game has felt a little bit less like science fiction," said Jacquelyn Schneider.
Background information notes Joshua Keating is a senior correspondent covering foreign policy and world news. Joshua Keating authored the 2018 book "Invisible Countries: Journeys to the Edge of Nationhood."