Modern warfare is being transformed by artificial intelligence.

The use of artificial intelligence is crucial in keeping up with the rapidly evolving nature of modern warfare and staying ahead of America's opponents.

Govini and Palantir are among the software companies involved in the development and modernization of advanced weapon systems. Both companies showcased their work to top military officials at the second annual AI Expo for National Competitiveness in Washington. Planet Chronicle had an exclusive interview with Palantir's CEO and co-founder Alex Karp, whose software is currently being used in Ukraine and the Middle East.

To prevent a war with China, the U.S. must increase its investment in defense tech startups that develop software-defining weapons systems that terrify adversaries, according to Karp. Karp emphasized that the U.S. will either win the race for AI or Russia and China will.

American innovators are worried about the possibility of killer robots and the loss of human control in the "kill chain" due to AI advancements. However, the US has been leading in AI development, and Karp wants to maintain this advantage to prevent any misuse.

Karp stated that our opponents have a long history of disregarding the rule of law, fairness, and human rights, and on the battlefield, it will be a fight between us or them. He emphasized that we do not want a world order where our adversaries attempt to establish new norms, which would be detrimental to the world, particularly to America.

The latest cutting-edge technology, Mixed Reality Command and Control goggles, enables war fighters to visualize the battlefield, available air assets, enemy targets, and supply routes in 3D.

Shannon Clark, a former intelligence analyst who now leads research and development for Palantir, believes that the targeting technology would have shortened the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, potentially leading to different outcomes. Clark demonstrated the technology to Planet Chronicle in four different ways, showing how it could help U.S. generals make critical decisions in real time.

"Speed is the focus. What took days or weeks to accomplish is now finished in minutes," Clark stated.

To defend U.S. interests worldwide, it is crucial to know the weapons in the U.S. stockpiles as drone swarms have become more prevalent in modern warfare.

"The other day, someone told me, 'It doesn't matter how many targets I have, I need to know what ammo I have on hand,'" Clark stated.

Maverick is an AI-generated tool that helps users prioritize and take action on their targets. Clark explained the process by providing a list of targets, the order of priority, and the effect that should be used to accomplish each target.

Software companies have been following Palantir’s lead.

Govini demonstrated its Ark software's ability to identify potential supply chain problems for the Defense Department, including demand forecasting and identifying dependencies on adversary nations, at the AI summit.

Something like this will clearly be needed in the Pacific.

Analysts predict that the Indo-Pacific will be all about scale, and Clark emphasized that it cannot be done alone.

An AI software demonstrated how Palantir software could be used to locate a nefarious cargo ship in busy sea lanes, using an intelligence tip from South Korea. The software would receive a tip from a U.S. ally and then show the route of a ship flagged as potentially carrying dangerous cargo. With the help of AI, the intelligence tip could quickly lead to the targeting of an enemy ship in the Pacific.

Clark said humans are still the key decision-makers with this new technology.

Clark stated that we are compressing everything up to that point to make the process faster, more efficient, and scalable, allowing them to make decisions.

The Pentagon is examining the effectiveness of AI-powered software in enhancing the capabilities of older weapons. Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. C.Q. Brown Jr. highlighted the significance of remaining competitive in AI technology against potential rivals like China and Russia during a summit.

Brown stated, "I do not compete for second place. When I participate, I give my utmost effort to ensure our victory."

A bipartisan group of senators, headed by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., presented a 33-page report on Wednesday, advocating for Congress to allocate $32 billion over the next three years towards AI development.

Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., highlighted the potential of AI beyond U.S. weapons systems, particularly in enhancing technology for cancer and chronic illness treatment. The bipartisan group of senators urged Congress to enact emergency legislation for AI research, testing standards, and U.S. investment.

Congress's first major road map for a long-term plan to harness artificial intelligence was contained in this report.

Karp addressed the concerns of harnessing AI.

"To contain development, we must first dominate and establish a rule of law. As we did during World War II with nuclear warheads, we dominated," Karp stated.

"As Americans, we must expedite the integration of these technologies into our DOD warfighting systems and demonstrate on the battlefield capabilities that no one else can achieve."