“We will not adopt an AI model that does not lead to war,” Hegseth said, adding that military AI “will never wake up.”
Mark Kelly tells Jon Stewart he has no intention of retracting comments from Hegseth
Sen. Mark Kelly told The Daily Show’s Jon Stewart that he is “not going to back down” despite the criticism.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth laid out plans to advance military artificial intelligence in a speech in Texas, saying he is creating an “AI-first combat force” that is not constrained by “woke” models.
Hegseth has been an outspoken advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, and for eliminating so-called “woke” policies from the military, including transgender troops.
In a Jan. 12 speech at the SpaceX facility, Hegseth sought to define what “responsible AI” means under his leadership.
“Gone are the days of unbiased AI and other DEI and social justice infusions that limit and disrupt the use of this technology,” Hegseth said. “Effective immediately, responsible AI at the Department of the Army means objectively truthful AI capabilities that are safely employed within the law.”
“We will not adopt an AI model that does not lead to war,” Hegseth said, adding that the department will employ “non-awakening” AI “without ideological constraints.”
Hegseth’s comments come amid growing concerns about the threat posed by AI. UN Secretary-General António Guterres told the UN Security Council in September that AI requires “guardrails” and called for a “ban on autonomous lethal weapons systems that operate without human control.”
Hegseth said the United States has no limits on pursuing new military capabilities.
“While our potential adversaries were engaged in a wartime arms race, we were done running peacetime science fairs,” he said.
He said the risk of falling behind was greater than the “impact of incomplete coordination” and vowed to act quickly.
In promoting AI, Hegseth argued that he is reshaping aspects of the military in a way that better facilitates innovation and rapid adoption of new technologies. He criticized defense industry consolidation, saying new defense contractors face too many barriers and vowed to make it easier for them.
Hegseth was introduced at the event by SpaceX founder Elon Musk, who led the Department of Government Efficiency’s cost-cutting efforts during the early months of President Donald Trump’s second term and has been awarded large defense contracts. The defense secretary said he wants to break away from “Elon-style” bureaucracy in reorienting the Pentagon.
“Today is about how we can accelerate innovation at the Department of the Army for the future,” he said.
