Trump orders military to accelerate use of artificial intelligence

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump is calling for the U.S. Military and national security agencies to accelerate their use of artificial intelligence.

In a memo issued by the president on Friday, he said that he is requiring an updated directive on autonomous weapon systems to account for AI’s rapidly evolving capabilities. 

The memo directs the Department of Defense "to ensure the deliberate adoption of AI systems that respect the chain of command and operational authorities."

Trump’s memo addressed much of his Cabinet, including the secretaries of defense and homeland security as well as the attorney general and director of national intelligence.

Trump orders military to accelerate use of AI

What they're saying:

"Artificial intelligence (AI) will be among the most transformative technologies to national security in the history of the United States," Trump said in the memo. "When adopted appropriately, AI can help protect our warfighters during peacetime and on the battlefield, enable precise operations that minimize harm to civilians, and ensure the United States continues to maintain technical overmatch against our adversaries and strategic competitors."

He continued, "My Administration will ensure that those who safeguard America and the American way of life are equipped with the most sophisticated and secure AI technologies to perform complex, time-sensitive, and highly-consequential missions, with full confidence that those tools will be available when they matter most … Through these efforts, my Administration will secure a decisive and enduring AI advantage against any and all adversaries while safeguarding the constitutional chain of command."

Dig deeper:

Trump’s memo also restricts the use of AI to "censor free speech, embed ideological bias, or conduct unlawful surveillance against the American people."

"The use of AI by the national security enterprise must always be consistent with United States civil liberties and protections afforded by the Constitution and laws and regulations safeguarding the privacy of American citizens," the memo states.

Growing anxiety over AI

Big picture view:

The memo comes at a time of growing anxiety over AI in American society, from replacing people’s jobs to helping to identify targets on the battlefield. 

The Defense Department has already been accelerating its use of AI in recent years. The technology can help reduce the time it takes to identify and strike a target, while aiding in the mundane tasks of organizing equipment maintenance, supply lines and other logistics.

RELATED: Trump's new AI executive order: What to know

On June 3, Trump signed an executive order Tuesday aimed at overseeing artificial intelligence, less than two weeks after delaying a White House event because of concerns that a similar proposal could undermine America’s technological competitiveness.

The order establishes a framework for the federal government to vet the national security risks of the most advanced AI systems for up to a month before their public release. Participation by AI developers would be voluntary, the order said.

"Advanced AI capabilities make our Nation stronger, but also introduce new national security considerations that require coordinated action across executive departments and agencies," the order stated.

The current directive, issued in 2023 under the Biden administration, states that such weapons systems will be designed "to allow commanders and operators to exercise appropriate levels of human judgment over the use of force," according to the Congressional Research Service.