The facts
U.S. Army leaders are scaling back the pace of transformation involving artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies, according to Gen. Christopher LaNeve, the Army vice chief. LaNeve stated that the service cannot "AI yourself to be the best maneuver brigade commander" and that the Army cannot modernize everything at once, advocating for "focused modernization." This shift comes as the Army prepares to release "How the Army Fights," a new framework to prioritize technology investments, integration into formations, and spending for future conflicts. The initiative aims to translate years of experimentation into concrete decisions. Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Weimer noted that while experimentation has yielded necessary learning, the service must now make definitive choices about which technologies to invest in. Command and control has been identified as the top modernization priority. The changes are occurring amid leadership transitions within the Army, with Acting Army Secretary Adam Telle taking over. The new framework acknowledges the evolving battlefield, where troops may operate alongside autonomous systems and under drone surveillance, with AI assisting in data analysis and target identification. However, leaders emphasize that autonomous systems will enable, not replace, human judgment and leadership in controlling land and consolidating gains. The Army is also considering potential threats to U.S. homeland infrastructure from adversaries.
Our take
The U.S. Army, a centuries-old institution that once thought the future was painting itself green and hiding in a ditch, has finally admitted it’s too fucking stupid to do more than one thing at a time. Gen. Christopher LaNeve, a man whose job title is basically 'Professional Skeptic of Progress,' looked at the bleeding edge of warfare and declared, 'We cannot AI yourself to be the best maneuver brigade commander.' No shit, General. You also can't PowerPoint yourself to be one, but here you are, betting the farm on a new framework called 'How the Army Fights.' Spoiler: The answer is 'slowly, and with extreme bureaucratic caution.' After years of expensive 'experimentation' - which we all know means letting contractors demo shiny toys - the big brains have realized they might have to actually pick a gadget to buy. Their stunning conclusion? Command and control is the top priority. So the master plan is to get better at telling people what to do, a concept that apparently required a multi-year study to rediscover. Acting Army Secretary Adam Telle is now in charge of this retreat from ambition, ensuring the only thing transforming at pace is the nameplate on the office door. They swear autonomous drones won't replace human judgment, which is a relief, because the current human judgment decided the best path forward is to do less, slower. The whole circus is a perfect monument to institutional cowardice: terrified of the future, ashamed of the present, and pinning all hopes on a document. The only infrastructure threat they’re ready for is a catastrophic failure of their own nerve. These clowns aren't preparing for future conflict; they're practicing for a fucking seminar. At least the new framework will look great in the briefing that explains our next defeat. Focused modernization, you absolute cunts. You’ve focused yourselves right back into the last century. Good luck out there, boys. The only algorithm you need is the one that calculates your retirement date.
