21ST CENTURY WARFARE: Pentagon pushes for battlefield AI, some military leaders urge caution.

In a recent annual special forces conference in Tampa, Florida, Adm. Frank Bradley, head of U.S. Special Operations Command, told attendees that troops “have to be very careful about how we come to (AI’s) employment and its inspiration into the delivery of lethality.”

“We, as humans, have to have the confidence that … it’s going to deliver violence only where we intend it to be delivered,” Bradley said.

In response to the remarks, a Pentagon official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told the Monterey Herald that the Pentagon was focussing on efforts to make “functional battlefield tools” with AI to help troops identify targets quickly.

Meanwhile, U.S. Special Operations Command officials said AI should not be a tool for eradicating targets, but to assist troops to focus on their mission. Sgt. Maj. Andrew Krogman said at the conference that AI could be used for administrative tasks or to modernize workflows.

AI performed very well in target selection during the active phase of the Iran War. But as always, please keep a human in the loop.