November 03, 2025

To Compete with China on Military AI, U.S. Should Set the Standards

By: Jacob Stokes, Paul Scharre and Josh Wallin

This article was originally published in Breaking Defense.

The United States and China are locked in a contest to not only lead in AI, but to shape the global landscape for its development and use. The Trump administration has declared it wants America to “solidify our position as the global leader in AI” and in July released an AI Action Plan to implement that vision. That document predominantly focused on the private sector and largely sidestepped a critical battlefield for AI’s future: forging the norms for how it is used by militaries, from devising battle plans to guiding attack drones.

The previous U.S. administration focused intently on shaping global norms for military AI. In 2021, the Pentagon released guidelines for responsible AI in the military, and in 2023 updated its policy on autonomy in weapons. The State Department rallied more than 50 countries to join a landmark declaration on the military use of AI and autonomy. Those actions were largely nonpartisan and left a legacy that the Trump administration can carry forward to generate serious substantive benefits.

The United States has an opportunity to lead in global norms and standards for military AI at a critical moment, when the foundations laid today could shape how militaries use AI for decades.

How militaries use AI could have major ramifications for global security, and the United States stands to gain if it is at the forefront of shaping its use. Following the meeting in South Korea between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, this could be a moment when the U.S. should step up and seize an advantage Washington can use to pressure Beijing.

AI systems are capable of executing increasingly complex tasks. Countries are integrating AI into their militaries and deploying it on battlefields from Ukraine to Gaza to better process information and identify targets. The prospect of highly advanced AI systems — sometimes referred to as artificial general intelligence (AGI) or superintelligence — looms on the horizon.

Read the full article on Breaking Defense.

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