Military Leaders Urge Caution on AI Use as Pentagon Advances Battlefield Tools

Adm. S. ” Bradley said he can see a future where AI determines what targets to hit but that “we, as humans, have to have the confidence that ... ” The remarks come as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pushes to rapidly evolve the military through AI.

A Pentagon official said efforts are focused on using AI to create “functional battlefield tools” that can help troops come up with and identify targets more quickly and speed up strikes on those targets. The official spoke on condition of anonymity. Sgt.

Maj. S. Special Operations Command, said at the conference that he sees AI handling administrative tasks to free up operators or helping modernize how the command does business.

” “We’re leveraging AI more and more, but it’s not to replace operator judgment, it’s to enhance it,” she added. S. military is actively exploring.

Lt. Gen. Michael Conley, head of Air Force Special Operations Command, told a congressional committee in May that his troops used AI “bots” to convert top secret intelligence down to a secret classification within seconds to make it easier to share with drone operators on the ground during the Iran war.

Georgetown University’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology published a case study two years ago on how the Army's 18th Airborne Corps used AI to target artillery strikes “just as efficiently as the best unit in recent American history” and with 2,000 fewer service members.

Toner said “Human operators are still the ones making crucial decisions, but AI ... ” The Pentagon and Anthropic are embroiled in a bitter contract dispute.

Anthropic had concerns about unchecked government use of its technology including fully autonomous armed drones and AI-assisted mass surveillance that could track dissent. After CEO Dario Amodei refused to back down, both President Donald Trump and Hegseth accused Anthropic of endangering national security.

The Pentagon labeled Anthropic a supply chain risk, ending its $200 million defense contract and prohibited other government contractors from working with the company.

Anthropic sued the Pentagon claiming it is illegally retaliating by stigmatizing the company with a designation meant to protect against sabotage by foreign adversaries. The Pentagon has emphasized its turn to Google, OpenAI and SpaceX to secure AI technology that can augment warfighter decision-making in complex operational environments.

President Donald Trump abruptly called off plans to sign a new AI executive order hours before an expected White House ceremony.