December 23, 2024
Pentagon must assess AGI trajectory for national security by April 2026
President Biden signed the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025 on December 23, 2024. The NDAA is an annual defense policy bill that Congress passes each year to authorize military spending and set defense policy. The FY2025 NDAA contains the most comprehensive AI governance provisions ever included in a defense authorization bill, addressing AI oversight, weapons evaluation, international cooperation, and the trajectory toward artificial general intelligence.
Under Section 225, the Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Officer Council gains expanded authority to assess national security risks posed by AI developments and to block adversary nations from accessing sensitive AI capabilities. Dr. Radha Plumb led the CDAO office when the law was signed, though the Trump administration later installed new leadership to carry out these expanded duties.
Two pilot programs target specific Pentagon challenges. Section 236 explores how AI can enhance biological research and development for defense applications. Section 237 tests whether AI can cut through the department's notorious bureaucratic processes, potentially streamlining administrative workflows that have resisted reform for decades.
Pentagon auditors have never passed a comprehensive financial review of the department's roughly $886 billion annual budget. Section 1007 authorizes AI-assisted auditing to trace spending through the military's labyrinthine accounting systems—a problem so entrenched that traditional methods have failed every year since mandatory audits began in 2018.
An international AI defense working group, created by Section 1087, acknowledges that military AI governance cannot stop at national borders. Allied nations will develop common standards, share evaluation methodologies, and coordinate policies—reflecting NATO's recognition that adversaries and allies alike are racing to deploy military AI.
Three sections tackle the human side of military AI integration
Section 1531 addresses how soldiers interact with AI systems and whether they can override AI recommendations
Section 1532 requires planning for advanced computing infrastructure Section 1533 establishes budgeting requirements for the massive data acquisition that AI systems demand.
Centers of excellence for evaluating AI weapons systems, established by Section 1534, will develop testing methodologies to determine whether AI-enabled weapons comply with the laws of armed conflict—including requirements for distinguishing combatants from civilians, proportionality in the use of force, and military necessity.
For the first time, Congress has ordered the Pentagon to formally assess whether artificial general intelligence is achievable and what it would mean for national security. Section 1535 creates the AI Futures Steering Committee, co-chaired by Deputy Secretary of Defense Stephen Feinberg and Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Christopher Mahoney, with a mandatory report due to Congress by April 1, 2026.
Strict deadlines enforce accountability: DOD must establish AI cybersecurity and governance policies within 180 days of enactment (approximately June 2025), develop a common data framework by June 2026, and exclude all Chinese-owned AI from Pentagon systems—extending existing bans on Huawei and ZTE equipment into the AI domain.
Pentagon Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Officer (April 2024 - January 2025)
Representative, Chairman, House Armed Services Committee (R-AL)
Senator, Chairman, Senate Armed Services Committee (R-MS)
President, Signed the NDAA into law on December 23, 2024
Deputy Secretary of Defense (Trump administration, confirmed 2025)
Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (since October 2025)
civic action
Monitor the AI Futures Steering Committee's April 2026 report
The committee's assessment of the trajectory toward artificial general intelligence will be the first official Pentagon evaluation of AGI's national security implications. When it is published, read it and contact your representatives about its findings.
The April 1, 2026 report will be publicly available through the Armed Services Committees. It will address whether the Pentagon believes AGI is achievable, what timeline it envisions, and what national security preparations are needed. This report will shape defense AI policy for years.
civic action
Track DOD compliance with the 180-day AI governance deadline
The law requires DOD to establish AI cybersecurity and governance policies within 180 days of enactment. Check whether the Pentagon meets this deadline and whether the resulting policies are substantive.
Congressional deadlines are only meaningful if agencies meet them and if Congress holds agencies accountable when they don't. The Government Accountability Office monitors agency compliance with statutory requirements. You can also contact your representatives to ask whether DOD has met its NDAA deadlines.
civic action
Engage with the ethics of military AI through public forums
The NDAA provisions raise fundamental questions about human control over weapons, AI in warfare, and the trajectory toward AGI. Engage with these issues through public forums, academic events, and advocacy organizations focused on responsible military technology.
The decisions Congress and the Pentagon make about military AI will shape warfare for decades. Public engagement with these issues helps ensure that military AI policy reflects democratic values, not just technological capability or defense contractor interests.