AI Agents Soon Fighting With US Troops (Worthy News Focus)

by Stefan Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent

WASHINGTON (Worthy News) – The U.S. Department of Defense (D0D) has asked a company to develop Artificial Intelligence (AI) agents for military operations and planning.

The DoD signed a multi-billion dollar deal with AI company Scale AI for the “Thunderforge” initiative, well-informed sources said, despite concerns about the usage of AI by the military.

Both tech giants Google and OpenAI initially expressed reservations but have recently reversed rules forbidding the use of their AI technology for weapons development and surveillance, Worthy News learned.

Experts say it showed “that Silicon Valley is opening up” to the idea of using its tools by the military.

They are believed to have welcomed comments by a senior Pentagon official who reportedly said the U.S. military was looking “to move away” from funding research for “autonomous killer robots” and instead invest in “AI-powered weaponry.”

Spearheaded by the U.S. military’s Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), the program will incorporate a team of “global technology partners,” including tech firms Anduril and Microsoft, to develop and deploy AI agents.

PROGRAM ROLLOUT

Officials said the uses will include “modeling and simulation, decision-making support, proposed courses of action, and even automated workflows.”

The DIU explained that the program’s rollout will begin with the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command and U.S. European Command and then spread to other areas.

“Thunderforge marks a decisive shift toward AI-powered, data-driven warfare, ensuring that U.S. forces can anticipate and respond to threats with speed and precision,” the DIU stated, adding that the program will “accelerate decision-making” and spearhead “AI-powered wargaming.”

“Our AI solutions will transform today’s military operating process and modernize American defense. … DIU’s enhanced speed will provide our nation’s military leaders with the greatest technological advantage,” CEO Alexandr Wang stressed in published remarks.

In December, Worthy News reported that AI developer OpenAI and high-tech military manufacturer Anduril Industries were rushing to develop AI technology for the U.S. military amid concerns that China would win the race in this field.

The two companies said OpenAI, the creator of the online AI ‘assistant’ ChatGPT, will provide additional capabilities to Anduril’s drones, detection unit, and military software.

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