The Defense Department has been rapidly integrating AI into its operations, with Google, Anthropic, and OpenAI being among the beneficiaries. This move is part of a larger trend in the second Trump administration, as AI is seen as the future to maintain U.S. geopolitical dominance. However, the implementation of AI within government represents a digital Trojan horse, replacing traditional thinking and quality control checks with pre-programmed assumptions of Silicon Valley.
The Department of Defense’s anti-regulatory approach, combined with the Department of Defense announcement, matches extreme risk with limited oversight, creating a volatile mixture. While AI products can enhance U.S. national security and the operations of the Department of Defense, their integration represents a transfer of control from the public sphere to the private sector. These companies are in a high-stakes race for market supremacy, seeking new sources of data and investor expectations.
The “MechaHitler” episode exposes how slight tweaks to AI products can trigger unpredictable downstream effects, which are the vulnerabilities the Department of Defense and all government systems must protect against. The interests and ideologies of the people who run these companies also play a role in the potential downsides of unleashing AI into the Pentagon’s control systems.
The Army Corps of Engineers Council’s work to oppose automation closer to home can serve as a guide for federal employees to assert their collective voice and win the support of the public. The attacks of the second Trump administration on the federal workforce have infused demands with new urgency, and the Federal Unionists Network is working to build solidarity to turn back this tide.
