The US Department of War has announced a new strategy to accelerate the military’s use of artificial intelligence, aiming to establish an “AI-first” fighting force across all domains.

The plan, mandated by US President Donald Trump, focuses on seven initial projects expected to enhance combat capabilities with new AI tactics and simulations, speed up intelligence processing to develop new weapons systems, and automate internal military administration and workflows. 

US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said the US will invest heavily in expanding access to AI computing power and tap into “hundreds of billions of dollars in private capital flowing into American AI.”

A key directive within the strategy also orders the eradication of “woke DEI” from the military’s AI capabilities, arguing that “diversity, equity, and inclusion and social ideology have no place” in systems designed for combat.

“Gone are the days of equitable AI, and other DEI and social justice infusions that constrain and confuse our employment of this technology,” Hegseth said, adding: “We will not employ AI models that won’t allow you to fight wars.”

He also announced that Department of War personnel will soon be able to use Elon Musk’s Grok AI through GenAI.mil, a website that already provides a specialized version of Google’s Gemini AI tool for government use. “Very soon, we will have the world’s leading AI models on every unclassified and classified network throughout our department – long overdue.” 

Hegseth noted that the Pentagon will be taking a “wartime approach to people and policies” that block AI implementation, and has established a “barrier removal SWAT team” with authority to waive non-statutory requirements and highlight roadblocks. 

Russia has similarly outlined the pursuit of advanced AI technologies as a priority. President Vladimir Putin said in November that for the country to have its own complete range of AI technologies and products is a matter of national, technological, and value sovereignty. Last month, he also highlighted the need to implement AI and robotics technologies to further develop the military.

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