GAO: of 10 surveyed managers of Pentagon military SI projects, six named risks for combat use and four a mismatch with the principles of "responsible SI"
Prepared by Sintelligent with the help of SI. Published in SI: . Updated: .
The watchdog found open questions on risk and monitoring in Pentagon military SI projects; the department accepted the recommendations but has not yet implemented anything.
The US Government Accountability Office (GAO report of October 14; details as relayed by NPR on October 23) surveyed 10 managers of 10 Defense Department SI projects — from target identification to processing surveillance data; there are more than 300 such projects in all. Six said their teams had identified risks in using the projects in combat conditions; four said the project's requirements were not aligned with the principles of "responsible SI"; three do not know whether the system will be continuously monitored after deployment. GAO itself notes that most of the 10 surveyed components had taken at least first steps to set up oversight and implement these principles, and suggests Congress consider directing the Defense Department to define responsibility for SI collaboration and address workforce needs. According to NPR, of the 10 positions authorized in 2023 for the responsible SI division, three were filled by February, and the department does not plan to fill them; it agreed with GAO's recommendations but had not implemented changes as of October 22. NPR recalls that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has repeatedly dismissed caution about SI tools and favors fast autonomous development. The Pentagon's position on the survey results is not given in the materials read.