Global Courant
The Senate is encouraging the Pentagon to rapidly develop artificial intelligence-powered “wearable” neural sensors that would be used to transmit data to commanders about the physical and mental status of soldiers in the field.
The Senate Armed Forces Committee released its annual defense policy bill this month, which was accompanied by a report saying senators from both sides want the Pentagon to move faster to deliver this piece of AI technology to potentially hundreds of thousands of American warfighters.
“The committee encourages the Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering to accelerate funding for the development of wearable dual-purpose neural biosensor technologies through the National Network for Microelectronics Research and Development to support a broader transition to the services,” the committee said in its report on the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
The report said that an army office that develops standards for soldiers in the field and a joint office that deals with a range of defense equipment are developing the types of biometric data they want these sensors to report. The Pentagon declined to give Fox News Digital an estimate of when that work could be completed, but did outline how an AI review of data collected by these sensors could help commanders make military decisions.
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US troops are seen during an intensive training session in Nowa Deba, Poland, in May 2023. (Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
“Wearable systems collect real-time data from warfighters that can provide them and their commanders with information on key predictors of performance such as fatigue, dehydration, nutritional status, heat stress, illness or potential exposure to harmful chemicals or biological organisms,” a Defense Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital in a statement.
The Senate report said AI-driven sensors could be used to track that kind of data across various defense groups, including security forces, aviators and unmanned systems pilots. Senators estimate they could eventually be used to track down and review data on “500,000 war fighters.”
The Senate’s push to use this AI technology comes even as some in Congress continue to look for ways to ensure these systems are safe and effective. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, DN.Y., continues to talk about an AI bill, but has said he wants senators to meet with more experts in the fall before introducing a bill.
Last week, President Biden announced that seven AI developers agreed to guidelines aimed at creating AI systems that are safe, secure and reliable.
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Congress has been preoccupied with ways to regulate AI, but is under equal pressure to get the Pentagon to adopt AI capabilities as soon as possible. (iStock)
But there is equal pressure on lawmakers to get the US to start using these AI systems to get ahead of China and other adversaries. For example, the House-approved NDAA encourages the Navy to include AI in its logistics plan, urges the military to develop autonomous combat vehicles, and asks the entire department to explore how AI can be used to bolster U.S. national security.
The Pentagon has so far shown that it doesn’t need much encouragement to adopt this new technology. The military said in January it recently announced a contract opportunity for a company to explore a range of automation tasks using AI and machine learning, plus another contract for companies developing wearable radiation sensors.
“Reliable AI and autonomy technologies can help the military streamline various tactical processes,” said Dr. Matt Willis, Army director of competitions in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology. “We must ensure that soldiers have the most advanced technological and strategic capabilities.”
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The military, led by Army Secretary Christine E. Wormuth, has already explored AI capabilities, such as placing sensors on soldiers that send health data back to commanders. (Reuters/File)
Stephanie Brown, program manager enhanced soldiers for the Army, said in June that efforts are being made to collect and use a wide range of data about the battlefield and the soldiers themselves by leveraging AI and machine learning.
“The military needs technology to sense everything on the battlefield, including the soldiers themselves, in real time,” she told Fierce Electronics. “In parallel with detection, we need to develop AI/ML algorithms to help make sense of the observed data.”
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“Overall, this allows us to reduce the risk and injury to our soldiers and to protect our people,” Brown said. “For example, some of the wearable sensors can provide health monitoring and emergency care, including triage information to help medics identify, classify and treat injuries.”
Pete Kasperowicz is a political editor at Fox News Digital.
