U.S. Military Is Struggling to Deploy AI Weapons
Source: msn/WSJ
11h
An ambitious Pentagon plan to field thousands of cutting-edge drones to prepare for a potential conflict with China has fallen short of its goal, and the military has struggled to figure out how to use some of the systems in the field, according to people familiar with the matter. The effort, launched two years ago as a way to quickly buy low-cost autonomous weapons to counter Chinas growing military capabilities, is now being shifted to a new organization over concerns it isnt moving fast enough, the people said.
The move reflects frustrations over setbacks in the program known as Replicator, a signature effort of the Biden administrations Pentagon that aimed to deliver thousands of air-, land-, and sea-based AI systems by August 2025. Then-Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks announced the program in 2023 with the promise of technology that would be small, smart, cheap.
While Hicks requested $1 billion over two years for Replicator, some lawmakers have called for billions of dollars more in spending, arguing the total needs to be far higher to ensure success.
Some Replicator systems have been unreliable, or were so expensive or slow to be manufactured they couldnt be bought in the quantity needed, according to people familiar with the matter. The Pentagon has also struggled to find software that can successfully control large numbers of drones, made by different companies, working in coordination to find and potentially strike a targeta key to making the Replicator vision work.
Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/us-military-is-struggling-to-deploy-ai-weapons/ar-AA1NoiNK
I don't know why they had this fantasy that this tech was somehow "mature". Seems someone was sold a bill of goods.

IbogaProject
(5,032 posts)Have you followed the recent details of the Ukraine war? Drones have totally altered the battlefield. Mo
BumRushDaShow
(160,717 posts)and deploying "AI" in the types of sophisticated system the article is talking about.
Ukraine has been making amazing use out of those tiny "quadcopters", NOT the full "airplane-sized drones".
littlemissmartypants
(29,886 posts)Ukraine has used the Bayraktar TB2, First-person view drones (FPV), the Dart 350 Sea Baby which they designed and produce, the Magura V5, which are employed for naval operations, Long-Range Attack Drones, modified commercial drones, the DJI Mavic and there are reports of new FPV drones that can operate over 100 kilometers and are resistant to electronic warfare jamming.
The growth of the drone manufacturing sector in Ukraine has been significant, with around 500 manufacturers compared to seven at the beginning of the war.
They also have a citizen sourced drone manufacturing system that uses everyday people who have 3D printers who manufacture drone components that are sent to centralized military facilities for assembly.
I know this based on reading about the war and having seen videos by Ukrainian and USA journalists on the subject.
Additional information:
https://www.csis.org/analysis/russia-ukraine-drone-war-innovation-frontlines-and-beyond
Hegseth's "war department" could definitely benefit from the knowledge but if I was the Ukrainian military, I'd never trust the USA again.
BumRushDaShow
(160,717 posts)I.e., they want completely "autonomous".
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-04-09/pentagon-s-drone-initiative-called-alive-and-well-under-trump
Among the Replicator systems selected and disclosed so far are AeroVironments anti-armor Switchblade 600, Anduril Industries reconnaissance and attack drone Ghost-X, and Performance Drone Works C-100. The Pentagon also has selected seven companies to provide software support for Replicators autonomy and command and control but hasnt disclosed them.
Switchblade 600
Ghost-X
Performance Drone Works C-100
I'm not negating what Ukraine is doing. I am saying that the Pentagon selected specific hardware to use and is trying to shoe-horn in what is IMMATURE so-called "AI" into them to perform at some level that they have demanded in their contract Statements of Work.
littlemissmartypants
(29,886 posts)All unmanned drones are autonomous.
The "war department" is having trouble producing "at scale" because they are expecting to have something that hasn't been created yet scaled up to outrageous proportions.
BumRushDaShow
(160,717 posts)is attempting to add "intelligence" to have it do something more than avoid hazards.
Look at the issues with those "self-driving" cars - and in their case, they are not driving "through a war zone" (although on some streets and highways, it probably seems like that ).
And I think what you just wrote is what I have been saying.
"AI" is NOT "ready for prime time" yet for this application. It's bad enough the made-up shit it has generated when lazy lawyers use it for stuff like legal briefs.
littlemissmartypants
(29,886 posts)Fourth of July fireworks display on AGT* or somewhere and like a five year old said ...
"I want one of those."
These people are beyond stupid. And you and I know how easy the stupid are to bamboozle.
*
BumRushDaShow
(160,717 posts)littlemissmartypants
(29,886 posts)"Ukraine is working on a deal to sell its drones to the US..."
BumRushDaShow
(160,717 posts)and insists on "American made". There is too much throwing babies out with bath water and too many egos in the Pentagon.
thesquanderer
(12,780 posts)That's probably what I would do if I were an AI attack drone.
DBoon
(24,310 posts)Said WOPR in the movie War Games
FredGarvin
(691 posts)China invested heavily in education
Meanwhile in the US ...students staring at phones and are lost.
Bayard
(27,139 posts)I'm afraid if we could do something like that it would just display trump's face.