Pentagon faces 90-day AI review under new US security directive
Synopsis
The United States has unveiled a new national security policy aimed at accelerating artificial intelligence adoption across defense, intelligence and cybersecurity agencies. The directive includes a Pentagon review of autonomous weapons policies and follows broader efforts to strengthen cyber defenses as global competition in AI development continues to intensify.
The United States is increasingly implementing AI in defense, intelligence, and cybersecurity operations and the technology is rapidly becoming a core component of the planning for the nation's security needs, as governments across the globe accelerate their investments in AI technology.
Following an administration national security memorandum by US President Donald Trump, signed on June 5, the nation's federal agencies are urged to accelerate the adoption of AI tools for national security while complying with legal regulations and maintaining human control over the tools.
AI tools will not be applied to illegal tasks such as unlawful surveillance or censorship, according to the US government.
The policy arrives several days after the US signed another executive order which was focused on bolstering cybersecurity across federal agencies and critical infrastructure, both indicate a broad move towards the integration of AI in a multitude of government areas ranging from intelligence analysis and threat detection, to cybersecurity and military operations.
The United States Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is tasked, as part of the new national security memorandum, to amend Department of Defense policy concerning autonomous weapons systems within the next 90 days of the directive. This task is expected to focus on how AI tools are utilized and command and control structure over AI-enabled technology remains within existing military structures.
In addition to that initiative, the United States intends to work alongside multiple AI developers and will utilize a voluntary process whereby private tech companies will be permitted to submit advanced AI models to government cybersecurity assessments prior to their official release, so as to identify weaknesses in the technology and decrease dependence upon any one tech company, according to officials.
The latest US directive comes amidst heightened competition among dominant world powers for superiority in the development of AI technology.
According to Stanford University's latest AI Index Report, the US leads in the development of sophisticated AI models, as China increases its investment in research, whilst a variety of other nations-including Great Britain, Japan, France, the Republic of India, the Republic of Korea, and France-have developed their own national AI strategies that focus on cybersecurity, economic development and public sector use of AI.
To businesses in the US and in Australia, the new US decree adds yet another affirmation that AI technology is swiftly moving towards being intimately connected with security, cyber defenses, and the strategic planning of critical infrastructure.
The national security directive also underscores the growing partnership between national governments and the private tech industry, as AI is increasingly integrated into strategic sectors.
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Pooja Malik is a business journalist with over six years of experience covering startups, entrepreneurship, and emerging trends. She has previously worked with leading media platforms such as YourStory Media and BW BusinessWorld, where she reported on business, policy, and market developments. Currently, she serves as Editor at The Inspirepreneur Magazine, where she writes and edits stories across business, lifestyle, and travel, with a focus on clarity, accuracy, and reader relevance.
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