Analysis

U.S. Military Investments in Autonomy and AI: Costs, Benefits, and Strategic Effects

Margarita Konaev

October 2020

National security leaders view AI as a priority technology for defending the United States. This two-part analysis is intended to help policymakers better understand the scope and implications of U.S. military investment in autonomy and AI. It focuses on the range of autonomous and AI-enabled technologies the Pentagon is developing, the military capabilities these applications promise to deliver, and the impact that such advances could have on key strategic issues.