The Pentagon is upping its bet on AI. Here's what it means for the military
Mar 06, 2025 - qz.com
The Department of Defense is significantly expanding the use of artificial intelligence in the military to enhance decision-making speed in warfare. The Defense Innovation Unit has awarded a prototype contract to Scale AI for "Thunderforge," a program aimed at integrating AI into military planning and operations. This initiative marks a shift towards AI-driven warfare, with AI being used in campaign development, resource allocation, simulations, and strategic assessments. The system will first be deployed within the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command and the U.S. European Command before being expanded to other combatant commands. Despite the potential benefits, there are concerns about automation bias and the opaque nature of AI systems, which could affect decision-making.
Scale AI's CEO, Alexandr Wang, has been advocating for AI-assisted warfare, emphasizing the need for the U.S. to invest in AI to maintain military superiority, particularly in light of China's strategic focus on AI military power. While AI has been used by various militaries globally, including Israel and in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, there are still challenges in fully leveraging the technology. The Department of Defense is aware of these issues and is considering how to train personnel to mitigate excessive reliance on AI recommendations.
Key takeaways:
The Department of Defense is significantly increasing the use of AI in military operations to enhance decision-making speed and precision.
The Thunderforge program, involving Scale AI and other tech companies, aims to integrate AI into military planning and operations.
AI will be used in various military applications, but concerns about automation bias and the "black box" nature of AI systems persist.
Scale AI's CEO has advocated for increased AI investment in the military, citing concerns about China's advancements in AI military capabilities.
