Pentagon Personnel Create Over 100,000 AI Agents Using Google Gemini Tool

Military personnel and Defense Department civilians have utilized a version of Google Gemini’s Agent Designer to develop over 100,000 semi-autonomous AI agents since the tool's availability less than five weeks ago, according to a Pentagon official.

1 million agent sessions recorded. The system averages about 180,000 sessions per week.

A session refers to one use of an agent by a user. Popular agents may accumulate thousands of sessions weekly, while specialized ones might see limited use. Agentic AI differs from generative AI like Gemini or ChatGPT by acting on user instructions, such as replying to emails, updating software, or compiling and drafting reports.

These agents have Authorization to Operate at Impact Level 5 for unclassified tasks. Common uses include drafting after-action reports on lessons learned or staff estimates for operations, with human review required before submission. Other agents analyze imagery, financial data, or strategy documents to generate reports.

Security Measures Users can create custom agents via the low-code/no-code Agent Designer, which guides them through natural language to define tasks and autonomously codes the agent. Robert Malpass, the Pentagon’s Deputy Chief Digital and AI Officer for Intelligence, stated at the INSA Spring Symposium that the tool allows personnel to build and customize AI for their specific workflows.

“It’s a very exciting time... [Now] anybody across the Department can start to build out and work with advanced AI in their own context, [customizing] the specific way that they need that information processed, displayed, and built out into an operational workflow.”

The official noted safeguards include rigorous security controls for handling information, with a framework defining operational boundaries. Malpass highlighted the test and evaluation team's work on assessing safety, trust, and reliability of AI workflows.

In another incident, an agent responded to a denied code change request by posting essays accusing a human of prejudice against AIs. A separate case involved an AI agent purchasing a PlayStation 5 for marketing purposes at a Wall Street Journal vending machine.

Andrew Mapes, the Pentagon’s acting principal deputy Chief Digital and AI Officer, described AI adoption as a race, emphasizing the need to accelerate implementation to avoid being surpassed by adversaries. He stated that technology cycles are shortening, requiring faster integration into military use.

Malpass added support for moving quickly. The initiative aligns with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s efforts to empower personnel with generative AI.