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Abstract red, white and blue AI network illustrating proposed limits on military AI and autonomous weapons by the Responsible AI Defense Act.

Senate Bill Would Restrict How The Military Uses AI And Autonomous Weapons

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The Responsible Artificial Intelligence Defense Act would require the Pentagon to verify higher-risk AI systems before deployment and keep human judgment over the use of force.

A group of Senate Democrats introduced legislation to establish new rules governing how the Department of Defense (DoD) develops, tests, and deploys AI systems, including autonomous weapons.

The Responsible Artificial Intelligence Defense Act of 2026 (S. 4707), introduced by Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Jack Reed (D-R.I.), would require the Pentagon to classify military AI systems according to risk and subject higher-risk systems to additional review before they can be developed or fielded.

A central provision of the bill would prohibit the use of AI to make nuclear launch decisions. The legislation would also require the Department of Defense to maintain appropriate human judgment over decisions involving the use of lethal force by autonomous weapons systems.

Further, under the Responsible AI Defense Act, the Pentagon would be required to determine whether high-risk AI systems perform as intended, comply with applicable laws and policies, and can operate reliably in realistic conditions, including against adaptive adversaries.

Military AI systems would also be subject to legal reviews, cybersecurity evaluations, and privacy assessments. The DoD would document those reviews and maintain records throughout a system’s lifecycle.

The bill would place additional limits on the use of AI for intelligence and targeting activities. Among other provisions, it would restrict the use of autonomous systems to track or target individuals believed to be located within the United States unless otherwise authorized by law.

The legislation would also establish a working group within the DoD focused on military AI governance and require annual reports to Congress on implementation, compliance, and risk management activities through 2037.

If enacted, the bill would apply across the DoD and create a formal process for reviewing, testing, and overseeing higher-risk military AI systems before deployment.

The bill was introduced in the Senate and referred to committee for consideration.

Digital Union Jack with soldier, jet and warship silhouettes in glowing data networks, UK military AI taskforce RAID launch

UK Launches Taskforce RAID To Speed AI Into Its Armed Forces

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The new unit reports directly to the Chief of the Defence Staff and is exempt from standard financial and procurement controls.

 

The UK Ministry of Defence launched the Rapid AI Delivery Taskforce, known as Taskforce RAID, on June 10. The unit’s job is to get AI tools into the hands of British soldiers, sailors and aircrew faster than standard defense procurement allows. Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced the launch during London Tech Week, alongside Defense Secretary John Healey.

 

First targets: intelligence and planning

The taskforce will start with a short list of operational problems tackling two key areas: 

  1. AI that processes intelligence data fast enough to support live decisions.
  2. AI built into military planning, enabling commanders to produce and adapt battle plans at the speed modern operations demand.

The government also wants uncrewed systems, such as drones, to take on dangerous tasks in place of personnel.

 

The unit can bypass standard controls

Taskforce RAID reports directly to the Chief of the Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton. It can skip some of the standard spending approvals and procurement rules that normally govern defense purchases. The Ministry of Defence says internal policies and a new expert advisory group will provide oversight. It has not said which controls are waived or what limits remain.

The new AI Expert Advisory Group will comprise technical, ethical, and operational experts and will build on the ministry’s existing Ethics Advisory Panel.

 

A wider door for UK tech companies

The taskforce will work with British tech companies, including smaller ones, to lower the barrier to entry into defense contracting. The first named partner is Rowden, a Bristol engineering firm that builds sensing and information systems for the British Army and other government customers. The release notes that Rowden recently received £25 million from the National Wealth Fund, a government-owned investor. That investment was announced in May, weeks before the taskforce existed.

 

Defense-wide order to move faster

Healey issued a memo the same day directing every part of the Ministry of Defence to identify where AI can improve operational effectiveness and speed up decision-making. Both moves follow the 2025 Strategic Defence Review, which committed the UK to a shift toward AI and autonomy across its forces, including a protected Defence AI Investment Fund and a digital targeting web for the Army by 2027.