Pentagon says US military to be an 'AI-first' fighting force

The US military is set to become an 'AI-first' fighting force, according to the Pentagon, which has announced new and expanded contracts with some of the biggest names in technology. The agreements, with Google, OpenAI, Amazon, Microsoft, SpaceX, Oracle, Nvidia, and start-up Reflection, will see AI technology used for any 'lawful operational use'. These deals mark a significant step towards transforming the US military into a force driven by artificial intelligence, the Pentagon said.

'These agreements accelerate the transformation [of] the US military as an AI-first fighting force,' it added. Notably, Anthropic, a leading AI company, is conspicuous by its absence from the list, having expressed concerns over the potential use of its tools in warfare and domestic surveillance. Anthropic is currently suing the government over alleged retaliation after refusing to accept 'any lawful use' language in its contract.

The company's tools, including its Claude chatbot, are still in use across many US government and defence agencies, but the relationship with the Pentagon appears to have soured. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth recently labelled Anthropic a 'supply chain risk', deeming it too dangerous for use in government settings. The new contracts are part of a broader effort to build up the military's AI capabilities, with access to powerful technology becoming a key component of success in modern warfare.

According to the Pentagon, more than a million people across the defence department have used its AI platform since its launch last year, significantly reducing the time it takes to complete many tasks. 'Access to a diverse suite of AI capabilities from across the resilient American technology stack will give warfighters the tools they need to act with confidence and safeguard the nation against any threat,' the Pentagon said. The announcement has been met with mixed reactions, with hundreds of Google employees, including those from DeepMind, urging the company not to deepen its work with the government.

OpenAI, which signed a contract with the Pentagon in February, said the new announcement was simply a formalisation of that deal, and that it believed 'the people defending the United States should have the best tools in the world.' As the row with Anthropic continues, with a court case expected in September, the Pentagon's move appears to have opened the door for other AI companies to work more closely with the government and military.