The Pentagon has made a quantum leap: AI adoption has skyrocketed by 1,775% — from 80,000 to 1.5 million users
The U.S. Department of Defense has demonstrated an unprecedented leap in digital transformation. Over the past six months, the number of Pentagon employees using commercial artificial intelligence tools has surged by 1775% — from 80,000 to 1.5 million people. This means that nearly half (43%) of the department's 3.5-million-strong workforce is already actively using AI in their daily work.
Pentagon Chief Technology Officer Emil Michael, speaking at a Hudson Institute event, revealed a key case demonstrating the technology's effectiveness. It involves preparing mandatory reports for Congress. Previously, a team of employees needed 200 hours to create a single document. Now, AI can compile a full draft in five hours. This is not just optimization — it is a revolution in the bureaucratic machine.
Particularly telling is a case previously described by Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Science and Technology Foundations Jacob Glassman. He tasked an understaffed team with using the internal GenAI.mil platform to prepare a report. The result exceeded all expectations: a week later, the team presented a finished document that they themselves called "the best in the last five years." This is direct proof that AI not only accelerates work but also improves its quality.
Strategic Alliances and Historical Context
The Pentagon is not limited to internal developments. The department has formed partnerships with leading market players: SpaceX, OpenAI, Google, Nvidia, Reflection, Microsoft, Amazon Web Services, and Oracle. These collaborations aim at the operational deployment of AI tools in military and logistics processes. Interestingly, the use of AI in U.S. government agencies has deep roots: the first experiments with the technology to solve logistics problems were conducted back in the 1960s. However, the real impetus came from the AI in Government Act of 2020, passed during the first presidency of Donald Trump.
The Flip Side of the Coin
Despite the impressive numbers, the U.S. Government Accountability Office issued a warning in March 2026. The expanded use of neural networks in the public sector could lead to increased risks: generation of false information and unauthorized access to data. The Pentagon has already created a special group to deploy hacker AI models, indicating an awareness of these threats.
Expert opinion: A 1775% growth in six months is not just a statistic — it is a signal that AI is becoming a critical element of national security. However, such exponential growth without adequate control systems could turn into a "digital Pandora's box." Investors and analysts should pay attention to companies that ensure the security of AI infrastructure — they will be the beneficiaries of this trend.