US Army Doctrine writers using AI to break creative blocks
As the US Department of War (DOW) pushes for the use of artificial intelligence (AI), its tools are now employed by writers of Army doctrine. However, they’re cautious not to put too much trust the technology, as it tends to hallucinate.
Image by Cybernews.
As the US Department of War (DOW) pushes for the use of artificial intelligence (AI), its tools are now employed by writers of Army doctrine. However, they’re cautious not to put too much trust the technology, as it tends to hallucinate.
Authors at the Combined Arms Doctrine Directorate (CADD) have developed a four-pronged strategy to equip every doctrine writer with the skills and tools to use AI effectively, according to the DOW website.
The CADD defines the Army doctrine as the fundamental principles of conducting military operations. It serves as a guide for the actions of operating forces and elements of the institutional force.
The DOW's website states that the CADD leaders are working with the Combined Arms Command and industry partners to build a purpose-made AI tool.
Officials say AI can provide human experts with powerful new assistants, comparing the technology to “a resourceful and motivated young officer who might not know all the information” but still assists experienced professionals in cutting some corners.
For example, an internally developed AI tool may enable writers to quickly search across hundreds of texts for historical vignettes. Such a task would normally take days of research, especially for new doctrine writers.
Humans will review every line of what a [large language model] produces for accuracy. To make sure that happens, one must make sure your people know their business.Richard Creed Jr
Moreover, an AI tool can help doctrine authors overcome creative blocks and generate ideas, as well as assist with grammar and readability.
However, officials warn that AI models can hallucinate by inventing facts or confusing source materials. In one case, for example, an AI-generated question for a doctrine test was based on an outdated manual.
“Humans will review every line of what a [large language model] produces for accuracy. To make sure that happens, one must make sure your people know their business,” Richard Creed Jr., CADD director, is cited as saying on the DOW’s website.
The Pentagon’s “AI-first” culture
The Pentagon rolled out GenAI.mil, the military AI platform, in December 2025. The platform runs Google’s Gemini for Government and is available to nearly three million contractors and civilian and military personnel.
The initiative cultivates an “AI-first” approach and uses generative AI capabilities to create a “more efficient and battle-ready enterprise,” according to the DOW statement.
In July 2025, the Pentagon announced that its Chief Digital and AI Office partnered with xAI, Anthropic, Google, and OpenAI, with each company receiving a contract worth up to $200 million.
However, not all partnerships appear to run smoothly. It was recently reported that the DOW is considering cutting ties with Anthropic because the AI company insists on maintaining restrictions on how the military uses its models.
The DOW, however, wants to use Anthropic tools for “all lawful purposes” without restrictions. According to the Wall Street Journal reports, Anthropic’s Claude was used in a US military operation in Venezuela to capture its former leader, Nicolas Maduro.
The company’s CEO, Dario Amodei, has recently said he was concerned about Anthropic’s tools being used for “fully autonomous weapons and the domestic mass surveillance of Americans.”
Unlock more exclusive Cybernews content on YouTube.