Frank Kendall: AI Development Remains a Top Air Force Department Priority

The Department of the Air Force remains committed to developing and deploying artificial intelligence to address security challenges posed by adversaries.

Speaking at the Reagan National Defense Forum, Air Force Secretary and 2023 Wash100 awardee Frank Kendall said the department wants to ensure that people who use AI are held accountable for what the technology would produce. Specifically, Kendall wants to identify how the “law of armed conflict” would be applied to the people and organizations responsible for developing and deploying AI.

Kendall also warned participants that while the United States has an edge in AI development and deployment, it is slowly diminishing because of adversaries’ rapid emerging technology development. The Air Force secretary’s comments on AI and warfare have been consistent, the U.S. Space Force said.

Other government officials have also warned against adversaries catching up with the United States on emerging technologies.

Speaking at a Ditchley Foundation event in July, CIA Director William Burns, a past Wash100 awardee, said the U.S. should outpace adversaries in AI development. According to Burns, the government should partner with the private sector to keep up with adversaries’ AI progress.

In a Potomac Officers Club event in February, Lakshmi Raman, CIA’s director of AI, said adversaries are using AI to expand their offensive operations.