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Rabat – A new study by the United States Government Accountability Office (GOA), highlights that while the US Defense Department has rushed into acquiring AI tech, a lack of consistent guidance leaves it unprepared for “the unique challenges associated with AI.”
A new performance audit by the US Government Accountability Office, conducted between February 2022 and June 2023, has concluded that the US Defense Department’s rush into acquiring AI (Artificial Intelligence) technology from the private sector needs guidance in order to address future challenges and not waste billions.
The US Department of Defense (DOD) plans to spend $16.5 billion on “science and technology programs”as part of its vision of AI as a top modernization area. While the branches of the US military have rushed into acquiring state-of-the-art AI technology, a lack of guidance undermines the process, the new GOA study concludes.
Unguided projectile
The study highlights that while the US military takes AI very seriously, the fractured approach applied by its branches risks undermining the US goal to gain an edge in AI technology vis-a-vis its geopolitical rivals.
The report underlines that the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence concluded in 2021 that “the U.S. is not prepared to defend itself in the AI era, and must act quickly to enable AI-readiness by 2025,” despite having the required infrastructure, tools and talent in place to make these necessary advancements.
In order to meet this objective, the new GOA report recommends that the DOD provide firm guidance for the army, navy and airforce, as well as internally at the DOD, to prevent billions from being wasted and the US potentially lagging behind in the AI era.
A new era in warfare
The new GOA report highlights how the world’s military superpower is wary of AI advancements by its rivals, and fears that without a structured approach the rush into acquiring AI tech will be financially wasteful and will not address future challenges adequately.
“It is especially important that DOD and the military services issue guidance to provide critical oversight, resources, and provisions for acquiring AI given that the U.S. will face AI-enabled adversaries in the future,” the report concludes.
While many of the world’s top military powers have seen AI as a vital component of future warfare, smaller regional powers, including Morocco, have remained relatively silent on the technology and its applications for defense needs.
Morocco’s ongoing efforts to modernize its armed forces have focused primarily on catching up on technology such as drones for intelligence-gathering and offensive capabilities, few officials have spoken publicly about AI, which could be a cost-effective way to compete with its rival Algeria, which is locked into a dependence on Russian conventional military technology which is showing its limitations in Ukraine.
AI-Powered Royal Armed Forces?
While Morocco’s military acquisitions recently have focused primarily on buying armed personnel carriers from France, a hunt for US HIMARS artillery and a variety of drones from Israel and China, the country continues to be locked into a costly race to acquire conventional military technology with its eastern neighbor.
Instead, Morocco’s ongoing efforts to ensure its private sector and top educational institutions focus on AI could provide a defining edge to the country’s armed forces, at a much lower cost. Given that Algeria relies on Russian technology, leveraging Morocco-US connections and its NATO status could provide access to AI technology that is years, or decades, ahead of Algiers’ military technology.
As AI increasingly moves into prominence, Morocco appears to hold an edge in AI development at its universities and private sector companies. Whether this head-start translates into a significant lead in military capabilities remains to be seen as little information is available about the country’s top-brass’ thinking on the topic of AI.
