The Pentagon expands the use of AI in military operations: a new doctrine allows for "fully autonomous systems."
The U.S. Department of Defense has approved an updated doctrine for the use of artificial intelligence in selecting targets on the battlefield. The document, signed back in April, is unclassified but has not yet been released to the general public. This decision marks a significant shift in the approach to automating military processes.
The key innovation is the official recognition of "combat systems in which AI initiates actions under human monitoring." Previously, such scenarios were only considered in theory. Now, the doctrine directly acknowledges that the speed of modern conflicts and the progress of adversaries in AI may require the U.S. to create "fully autonomous systems." The main goal is to shorten the "sensor-to-shooter" cycle and radically increase the tempo of operations.
In addition to expanding autonomy, the new doctrine significantly enhances the role of AI in processing intelligence data. Systems must learn to more quickly correlate target information from various platforms—satellites, drones, ground sensors—forming a unified, maximally comprehensive picture of the battle. Commanders are recommended to more actively use neural networks for analysis, decision-making, and risk management.
The document also contains provisions on "reducing harm to civilian populations," which appears to be an attempt to mitigate ethical risks. However, the Pentagon warns: excessive reliance on algorithms is fraught with "serious moral and legal dilemmas." The appendix particularly emphasizes that automation does not replace human thinking and proactive communication.
Interestingly, simultaneously with the publication of the article in the media, the Pentagon announced the launch of a "network of agents" to transform battle management systems. As noted by Chief Digital and AI Officer Cameron Stanley, the goal is to create an interoperable network of AI agents, giving commanders faster access to quality information, while keeping human judgment at the center of every decision.
Recall that back in 2023, the UN Secretary-General called for a ban on lethal autonomous weapons systems, calling them "morally repugnant." The Pentagon's current step, against the backdrop of a 1775% increase in AI adoption among employees over the past year, appears as a deliberate move to blur the lines between human and machine in matters of life and death.
My analysis: The military technology market is one of the key drivers of AI development, and this Pentagon step legalizes what was already being tested in classified modes. For the crypto industry, there is a parallel here: decentralized systems for management and data verification could become the basis for creating "transparent" military algorithms, but this is still a hypothetical scenario. The reality is that the AI arms race is accelerating, and this will inevitably affect the regulation and security of all digital assets.