On Wednesday, March 5, the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), part of the DoD, awarded Scale AI a prototype contract for ‘Thunderforge’, a military AI platform that improves decision-making strategies during operations.
Founded in 2016, Scale AI specializes in labeled data and training infrastructure for AI for military applications. To develop Thunderforge, the company will collaborate with Microsoft, Google, and defense contractor Anduril Industries.
“[Thunderforge] will be the flagship program within the DoD for AI-based military planning and operations,” tweeted Scale AI CEO Alexandr Wang on X.
The use of AI in military systems will initially be implemented in two main military commands, the US Indo-Pacific Command – leading operations in the Pacific and Asia, and the US European Command – directing security in Europe, the Middle East, and the Arctic.
Thunderforge will aid with strategy development, resource allocation, and scenario planning, officials said, with AI in military intelligence at unmatched speed.
Bryce Goodman DIU Thunderforge Program Lead said, “Thunderforge brings AI-powered analysis and automation to operational and strategic planning, allowing decision-makers to operate at the pace required for emerging conflicts.”
AI in the Military Ethical Concerns
AI applications in military planning need a developmental transition from conventional techniques where humans take days to review scenarios, to military AI systems with the capacity to deliver responses in minutes.
Though the AI and military applications might enhance efficiency, analysts caution that AI-assisted decision making in US AI military contracts for warfare create dangers.
“These AIs are trained on collected historical data and simulated data, which may not cover all the possible situations in the real world,” Sean Ren, a professor of computer science at USC, told Decrypt.
“Additionally, defense operations are high-stakes use cases, so we need the AI to understand human values and make ethical decisions, which is still under active research,” Ren added.
Ren, who is one of the founders of Sahara AI, emphasized that the creation of AI in defense and military applications simulations requires the highest degree of accuracy.
“I think two key aspects make this possible: collecting a large amount of real-world data for reference when building wargaming simulations and incorporating various constraints from both physical and human aspects,” stated Ren.
To enhance military AI flexibility, developers use reinforcement learning, allowing AI systems to learn from simulated experience and modify their response accordingly over time.
“In wargaming simulations, the AI can take exploratory actions and look for positive or negative outcomes from the simulated environment,” Ren highlighted.
As military AI replaced what is now perceived as traditional roles, the Pentagon accelerates partnerships with commercial AI firms. While development could provide the US with a strategic edge, it also questions whether we are entering the era of what can only be perceived as the most advanced AI-powered warfare in history.
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