Artificial intelligence use across the US military has surged by 1,775 percent over the past year, reaching roughly 1.5 million users as the Pentagon expands AI capabilities into battlefield intelligence and drone operations.
According to Emil Michael, chief technology officer at the US Department of Defense, the military had previously averaged around 80,000 AI users across its more than 3 million personnel.
With AI increasingly being integrated into military platforms, roughly half of the force is now reportedly engaging with the technology to support faster decision-making, improved targeting precision, and greater operational autonomy.
Michael said Pentagon AI efforts are currently focused on three main areas: enterprise operations, intelligence functions, and warfighting systems.
“[We’re] embedding [AI] into our systems so that warfighters can … bring combat power to the battlefield in a way that shortens time of any conflict,” he stated.
Large-Scale Rollout of AI Systems
The expansion follows the Pentagon’s rollout of GenAI.mil as part of a department-wide effort to expand secure access to generative AI tools across military operations and workflows.
Michael said AI development is advancing rapidly on a monthly basis, adding that translating those capabilities into tools for the Department of Defense and frontline personnel remains a relatively new approach.
The effort comes alongside a $1.1 billion Pentagon initiative aimed at fielding 200,000 small lethal drones by 2027.
