Pentagon to deploy AI in military operations via 'Thunderforge' program
What's the story
The US Department of Defense (DoD) has awarded a prototype contract to leading artificial intelligence (AI) firm Scale AI.
The contract is for "Thunderforge," the DoD's flagship project to integrate AI into military strategy and operations.
The move comes as part of the Pentagon's larger plan to boost its AI capabilities, focusing on speeding up decision-making processes during warfare.
AI integration
Thunderforge signifies a shift toward data-driven warfare
The DoD's official statement emphasizes that "Thunderforge marks a decisive shift toward AI-powered, data-driven warfare."
The goal is to allow US forces to "anticipate and respond to threats with speed and precision."
While the contract details remain undisclosed, CNBC reports it is worth millions of dollars.
Scale AI will work with defense firm Anduril's Lattice open software platform and Microsoft for the LLM technology.
AI in operations
Thunderforge is a significant step toward AI-driven decision-making
Since 2021, the Pentagon has been trying to add AI capabilities into defense operations. This includes employing autonomous weapons and computer vision technology to identify airstrike targets.
However, Thunderforge marks its first major step toward integrating AI into operational decision-making across the military.
The plan is to embed large language models (LLMs), aka AI agents, into its workflows for various strategic assessments and planning scenarios.
Oversight and concerns
Concerns over AI integration in military operations
The first deployment of Thunderforge will be in the US Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) in Hawaii and the US European Command (EUCOM) in Germany.
Eventually, the system will be scaled across all 11 combatant commands.
Scale AI has promised humans will supervise these AI agents. However, there are concerns about the tech being used in certain areas due to automation bias where users might rely on machine recommendations over their own judgment.
Advocacy
Scale AI's founder advocates for AI-assisted warfare
Scale AI's CEO and founder, Alexandr Wang, has been an advocate of AI-assisted warfare.
Back in January, he urged President Donald Trump to invest more in this area to "win the AI war."
Wang had expressed concern that China could use AI to surpass the military capabilities of Western powers.
This is especially relevant as China has reportedly made AI military strength a strategic priority.
More updates
US Labor Department probes Scale AI over fair pay, conditions
On a related note, the US Department of Labor has been investigating Scale AI for nearly a year, focusing on the company's compliance with fair labor laws.
The probe, which began during the Biden administration, examines issues related to equitable pay and working conditions.
Scale AI stated that it has been cooperating with the Labor Department over the past year to clarify its business model and the evolving dynamics of the fast-growing AI sector.