US Army general uses AI for military decisions, says he’s close with ChatGPT

We can laugh, and we can cry, but even America’s top military commanders are now jumping in on the AI chatbot wave. A US Army general has disclosed his close relationship with ChatGPT and even seems to trust the bot to make “key command decisions.”

“I’ve become – Chat and I are really close lately,” Maj. Gen. William “Hank” Taylor said during a roundtable at the annual Association of the United States Army conference, according to Business Insider.

Proving that it’s not just the civvies who are leaning into the generative AI boom, Taylor also explained: “As a commander, I want to make better decisions. I want to make sure that I make decisions at the right time to give me the advantage.”

Taylor doesn’t seem to be using ChatGPT to improve his decision-making in the field – only in command and daily work.

The major general also elaborated that he was using the tech to explore how he makes military and personal decisions that affect not just him but the thousands of soldiers he oversees.

Additionally, Taylor said he was using AI in writing weekly reports. He has directed the field army he commands in South Korea to regularly use relevant AI programs for predictive analysis.

Why? It seems it’s because generative AI has already reached the point where utilizing it gives the user an obvious advantage. And in the Army, fast decision-making is crucial in frameworks such as the OODA loop.

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The theory, developed by American fighter pilots during the Korean War, posits that troops who can move decisively before the enemy does – Observe, Orient, Decide, and Act – often have the advantage on the battlefield.

In other words, the US military recognizes that decisions in presumably ultramodern future combat might need to be made faster than humans can make them.

Generative AI seems to have already reached the point where utilizing it gives the user an obvious advantage.

Former Secretary of the US Air Force Frank Kendall has repeatedly warned that military dominance will depend on AI, stating that those who believe the new technology will decide future battlefields are “not all that far off.”

Last year, Kendall even flew in an F-16 jet controlled by an AI pilot, demonstrating his conviction in the technology.

Even the Joint Staff AI lead, Bianca Herlory, said at a panel event in April that “AI can significantly enhance the Joint Staff’s ability to integrate and analyze global military operations, ultimately enabling better, faster decisions.”

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