1. United States
2. Wash.
3. Letter

I write with deep concern about the accelerating militarization of artificial intelligence and troubling reports of conflict between the Department of Defense and AI developers over ethical limits on military use. Recent reporting indicates that negotiations between the Pentagon and the AI company Anthropic have stalled because the company seeks guardrails preventing its technology from being used for mass surveillance or fully autonomous weapons systems. Pentagon officials, by contrast, are reportedly pushing for broader operational flexibility so long as uses remain technically lawful. This dispute is more than a contract disagreement. It signals a potentially dangerous shift in U.S. military AI policy. If even the companies developing these systems express alarm about misuse, Congress should take notice. AI introduces unprecedented risks into warfare: machine-speed decision-making beyond meaningful human review, opaque targeting systems, automation of lethal force, and normalization of surveillance tools that could be directed inward against civilian populations. Without clear legal limits and democratic oversight, the United States risks eroding human rights norms and destabilizing global security. The current emphasis on rapid deployment over transparent governance raises urgent concerns about whether essential safeguards are being sidelined. Congress must act. I urge the following steps: 1. Establish clear legal limits on military AI • Prohibit fully autonomous lethal systems operating without meaningful human control. • Ban AI-enabled mass surveillance of civilians or domestic political monitoring. • Require transparent documentation of AI’s role in targeting and battlefield decisions. 2. Conduct immediate congressional oversight • Require sworn testimony from Pentagon officials and AI executives. • Review current contracts, deployments, and operational uses of AI. • Assess whether AI has been used in lethal operations without adequate ethical review. 3. Develop international frameworks • Lead negotiations toward binding agreements governing military AI. • Establish norms to prevent an uncontrolled global arms race in autonomous weapons. 4. Protect civil liberties • Prohibit domestic deployment of military AI tools for surveillance or political repression. • Create independent oversight bodies with technical expertise and subpoena power. AI may fundamentally reshape warfare and accountability for life-and-death decisions. Congress must ensure that technological advancement does not outpace ethical governance. The United States should lead not only in innovation, but in moral responsibility.