The US will accelerate the development and deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) for national security purposes, while maintaining safeguards against unlawful surveillance, the White House said on June 5, marking a significant expansion of AI integration across defence and intelligence systems.
Reuters reported that US President Donald Trump said in a national security memorandum that his administration would “responsibly accelerate the use of AI across intelligence and warfighting domains”, while ensuring the technology aligns with American values and respects legal boundaries.
The directive outlines plans to deepen AI adoption across the national security enterprise, including intelligence analysis and military operations, while explicitly prohibiting its use for censorship or unauthorised surveillance.
It also instructs Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth to update guidance within 90 days on the autonomy of weapons systems, aimed at ensuring AI is adopted in line with command structures and operational control standards.
As part of broader safeguards, the administration said leading AI developers will be asked to voluntarily submit advanced models for government cybersecurity testing before public release, reflecting growing concerns in Washington over the risks posed by frontier AI systems.
White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Director Michael Kratsios said the policy would accelerate AI adoption across multiple vendors to avoid single points of failure and strengthen resilience in defence systems.
The move comes amid rising tensions between US defence agencies and AI developers over the use of artificial intelligence in autonomous weapons and surveillance applications, including a recent dispute involving Anthropic and the Pentagon.
The latest directive underscores Washington’s push to maintain technological leadership in AI while tightening oversight of its military applications, as competition intensifies over next-generation defence capabilities.
