Artificial Intelligence in Warplans
Topic Sponsor: HQ USSF/S59/ACT
What is the impact of artificial intelligence or intelligent automation in the development of real-time generated war plans?
- AU Library Libguide - Military Applications of Artificial Intelligence
- Beckett, Lt. Col. Gary P., "Leveraging Artificial Intelligence and Automatic Target Recognition to Accelerate Deliberate Targeting," AWC PSP, 2020, 25 pgs.
- Bell, Jared E., "An Artificial Intelligence-Enabled Joint Force Equals Successful Outcomes for American Influence," GCPME thesis, 2023, 39 pgs.
- Buroker, Capt. Larry D., "A Survey of Digital Twin Technology and Possible Applications for the Air Force," SOS AUAR paper, 2021, 14 pgs.
- Catt, Capt. Nathaniel, "Calibrating Trust in Military AI Systems," SOS AUAR Paper, 2021, 12 pgs.
- Howard, Regenald E., "A Snapshot in Time: The Proliferation of Generative AI and Lessons Learned for the United States Military," SAASS thesis, 2024, 98 pgs.
- Keith, Andrew J., "Alignment: National Security Objectives in Cold War Computer Simulations," SAASS thesis, 2025, 117 pgs.
- Keith addresses this by analyzing how automated decision-making agents in Cold War computer simulations, such as TEMPER and RSAS, struggled to seamlessly align with actual national security objectives. He argues that while artificial intelligence possesses the potential to drastically increase the speed and quality of strategic force structure and employment decisions, introducing intelligent automation into war planning poses severe risks of misalignment, complexity, and opacity. By evaluating historical models, he demonstrates that when AI agents generate plans or strategies, government users and sponsors frequently lack the ability to interpret, control, or understand the underlying decision-making algorithms, ultimately leading to situations where the machine's simulated war aims fundamentally diverge from human strategic intent.
- McLamb, Capt. Elizabeth E., "Integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) to Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2) for the 2030 Fight," SOS AUAR paper, 2020, 21 pgs.
- Merkle, Thomas, "China's AI Sputnik Moment and the US Position as of September 2020," AWC elective paper (The Chinese Warfighter), 2021, 12 pgs.
- Robillard, Lt. Col. Gavin, "Machine Learning and the United States Marine Corps," SAASS thesis, 2022, 110 pgs.
- Sutton, Kelvin, "An Explorative Paper on Current and Future Strategies for Improving Radar Track Continuity using AI Assisted Predictive Modeling," SOS AUAR Ideas and Weapons, 2023, 5 pgs.
- Tortorici, Pete, "Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning: Examining US and Chinese Policy Mechanisms for Strategic Advantage in Emerging Technologies," AF Fellows Paper, 2020, 40 pgs.
- Williams, Ryan, "Bullet Background Paper on AI to Revolutionize Blue Tactics and Accelerate Understanding of Adversary Weapons," SOS AUAR, 2023, 3 pgs.