Sydney J. Freedberg Jr. has written for Breaking Defense since 2011 and served as deputy editor for the site's first decade, covering technology, strategy, and policy with a particular focus on the US Army. He’s now a contributing editor focused on cyber, robotics, AI, and other critical technologies and policies that will shape the future of warfare. Sydney began covering defense at National Journal magazine in 1997 and holds degrees from Harvard, Cambridge, and Georgetown.
The civilian internet firm will build prototype software for Tactical Identity Credential & Access Management, a critical step in bringing “zero trust” cybersecurity to battlefield networks.
Two US officials exclusively tell Breaking Defense the details of new international “working groups” that are the next step in Washington’s campaign for ethical and safety standards for military AI and automation – without prohibiting their use entirely.
“For certain use cases, it’s proving to have a lot of value,” said Col. Matt “Nomad” Strohmeyer. “It’s not this panacea, but it’s also not this Pandora’s box of evil. It’s somewhere in between.”
45 percent of AAL’s completed projects have “transitioned” into regular DoD programs, but AAL admits others “end up in the valley of death due to factors external to the project, even if the project meets all milestones and the technology solves the military problem.”
Even if China doesn’t agree to or abide by new “confidence-building measures,” CNAS scholar Tom Shugart says, the US and its allies should adopt them unilaterally to reduce the risk of accidents or worse in the West Pacific.
With AI hype outrunning reality, DoD AI chief Craig Martell told lawmakers his office is “building what we’re calling a maturity model” to assess what generative AI really can and cannot do.
Because it needs much less electricity per computation than current chips, the new hardware could take AI out of big data centers and onto drones, robots, and other small platforms at the “tactical edge.”
The US government hopes this will be the first of many annual meetings of the countries that signed on to the US “Political Declaration” on military AI last year, sharing model policies and best practices on everything from combat robots to back-office algorithms.
Plumb, the current deputy under secretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment, has held high-powered jobs from Google to the National Security Council.
“I love AI. I want lots of AI,” Dave McKeown told Breaking Defense. But, so far, neither government nor industry has developed artificial intelligence that can really help with cybersecurity.
“On an annual basis, we have a CR, half the year’s gone,” the undersecretary for Research & Engineering said. “Our adversary doesn’t have the same constraints.”
At AUSA Global Force 2024, IAI presented integrated, AI-driven combat systems – both manned and unmanned – that are opening new opportunities on the battlefield.
At AUSA Global Force 2024, IAI presented integrated, AI-driven combat systems – both manned and unmanned – that are opening new opportunities on the battlefield.
