Pentagon says US military to be an 'AI-first' fighting force

The US military plans to increase its use of artificial intelligence (AI) after the Pentagon agreed to new and expanded contracts with major tech companies. The agreements with Google, OpenAI, Amazon, Microsoft, SpaceX, Oracle, Nvidia, and Reflection will allow AI technology to be used for any 'lawful operational use'. The Pentagon stated that this will accelerate the transformation of the US military into an 'AI-first' fighting force. Over a million people across the defence department have used the military's AI platform since it was launched last year, cutting task times from months to days. The move comes as Anthropic, a company that had previously worked with the government, is suing over alleged retaliation after refusing to accept 'any lawful use' language in its contract. The row has opened the door for other AI companies to work more closely with the government and military.