GLOBAL AI DEVELOPMENTS

The global race for AI implementation & improvement

• China’s $1.4 trillion AI push aims for tech dominance by 2030

• Wooing with ooze: UAE uses oil wealth to secure strategic AI partnerships with the US

• Gates and Modi partner on AI solutions for India’s development goals

• Hungary’s facial recognition plan for pride events directly challenges EU’s AI Act

• Italy signs $2.5 billion AI deal with UAE to build “cognitive cities”

REGULATION & SAFETY

Law, lobbying & potential risks

• Not Quite Human: AI cannot legally be considered an author for copyright protection, says court

• Ultimate Trump Card: OpenAI, Google urge AI training on copyrighted content, citing national security

• Target alignment: Why experts favor AI safety specificity over mass public campaigns

• House Republicans probe tech giants for AI collusion with Biden administration

• DOJ softens Google AI investment restrictions while keeping Chrome sale proposal

AI Governance

The latest government programs & implementations

• New Jersey’s AI ambitions: How Gov. Murphy is building a tech innovation hub

• South Carolina school district explores $90,000 AI effort to personalize instruction

• AI tools help nursing educators combat Louisiana’s growing healthcare staff shortage

• Trump administration fast-tracks AI deployment across federal agencies

• Trump administration creates “digital Fort Knox” with new Strategic Bitcoin Reserve

DEFENSE

Weapons, tech, research & contracts

• How AI governance models impact safety in U.S.-China race to superintelligence

• AI-powered drones could make conventional military tactics obsolete, just like guerrilla warfare did

• American-made HELIUS drone challenges DJI with rugged sub-250-gram design

• See-through power: Air Force engineer leverages AI to detect unexploded munitions with drones

• Marines to lean on Anduril tech to protect bases from drones

Funding AI education, industry immersion, and career assistance to those who have served our nation.

What’s happening in AI policy right now

AI drones revolutionize modern warfare

_{How autonomous systems upend military doctrine}

The proliferation of AI-powered drones is fundamentally challenging conventional military tactics and force structures. These weapons systems have evolved from surveillance tools to lethal platforms, creating an urgent need for adaptation in military planning.

_{The asymmetric threat}

Today's combat drones pose a significant threat to traditional military forces by making expensive platforms increasingly vulnerable targets. When a $10,000 drone can potentially disable a $10 million tank, military planners face a fundamental rethinking of force structure and deployment.

The use of drone swarms demonstrates this capability gap. Low-cost drones operating in coordinated groups can overwhelm conventional air defenses designed to counter fewer, more sophisticated threats. This dramatically changes the cost equation of warfare and gives smaller forces a powerful asymmetric advantage.

_{Counter-drone investments surge}

The Marine Corps recently awarded Anduril a $642 million contract for counter-drone systems to protect installations from unmanned aerial threats. Marine Commandant Gen. Eric Smith noted "the increasing importance of... the proliferation and effectiveness of drones" in conflicts from Ukraine to the Middle East.

This substantial investment signals recognition that defending against drone threats requires new technological approaches. Traditional air defense systems struggle with small, agile drones that can approach from multiple directions simultaneously. The resulting counter-drone systems integrate AI for faster target identification and response.

_{Battlefield intelligence meets lethal autonomy}

Beyond direct combat applications, military drones are evolving into sophisticated intelligence platforms. Air Force engineer Randall Pietersen's hyperspectral imaging system combines drone capabilities with machine learning to detect unexploded munitions, addressing a critical battlefield safety challenge.

This technology represents the bridge between surveillance and combat applications. The same systems that identify unexploded ordnance could potentially identify and target enemy personnel or equipment. As AI capabilities improve, the line between intelligence-gathering and autonomous targeting continues to blur.

_{Domestic production as national security}

Massachusetts-based Ascent AeroSystems has introduced HELIUS, a sub-250-gram AI-powered drone that emphasizes its American-made credentials and NDAA compliance against Chinese-manufactured competitors.

This focus on domestic production addresses concerns about potential backdoors or vulnerabilities in foreign-made systems deployed in sensitive security contexts. Despite its $4,499 price point - far higher than consumer alternatives - the drone's compliance with government procurement requirements creates a protected market segment for security applications.

_{The AI-weapons acceleration}

AI and weapons systems are developing in a mutually reinforcing cycle. Better AI makes weapons platforms more autonomous and capable, while more sophisticated weapons systems generate data that improves AI performance. This creates an accelerating innovation cycle that continuously expands lethal capabilities.

As Max Tegmark warns in his essay on AI risks, this acceleration could outpace society's ability to develop appropriate safeguards. Military AI systems may achieve capabilities that their developers didn't anticipate, leading to unpredictable outcomes in combat scenarios.

_{Strategic implications}

The rapid evolution of AI-powered weapons raises fundamental questions about the future of warfare:

1. What happens to military doctrine when small, autonomous systems can effectively challenge conventional forces?

2. How will rules of engagement evolve when machines make targeting decisions at speeds beyond human reaction times?

3. Will autonomous weapons lower the threshold for military action by reducing the risk to human personnel?

The battlefield is transforming rapidly through the convergence of AI and unmanned systems. Military organizations that adapt quickly to this new reality will maintain effectiveness; those that cling to conventional approaches risk becoming obsolete against nimble, intelligent, and increasingly deadly autonomous weapons.