Commentary

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  Decision-Based Artificial Intelligence and the Strategic Reordering of Military Power

  Elise Annett

  This commentary examines how decision-based artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping the structure and exercise of military power. As AI systems increasingly filter information, evaluate options, and accelerate operational decision cycles, military advantage is shifting toward control of the “decision space” itself. AI-enabled decision support allows actors to shape operational environments, constrain adversary choices, and compress the time available for political or military response. These developments are transforming command structures, cross-domain operations, and the role of human authority within military decision processes. Recognizing decision-space as a contested domain, this commentary calls for doctrinal adaptation, revised command architectures, and clear frameworks for human-machine interaction to ensure that AI enhances operational effectiveness while preserving human judgment and accountability in the use of military force.

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  Precision in Words, Precision in Warfare: Terminology and Control in Military Discourse on Unmanned Systems

  Elise Annett, John Bitterman, and James Giordano

  This commentary is about how inconsistent terminology surrounding unmanned and intelligent systems can create confusion in military planning and policy discussions. Terms such as automatic, remote, and autonomous are often used interchangeably in defense discourse, despite describing distinct technological capabilities and levels of human control. This ambiguity can hinder effective evaluation, governance, and operational use of unmanned systems in modern warfare. As machines increasingly support sensing, decision-making, and action on the battlefield, precise terminology becomes essential for doctrine development, training, command authority, and ethical oversight. Clearer definitions and conceptual frameworks can ensure that emerging technologies are understood and integrated into military operations with accuracy and strategic coherence.

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  Artificial Intelligence and a Reconfiguration of Military Power

  Elise Annett and James Giordano

  This commentary examines how artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping military power and decision-making. AI is becoming a central element in how militaries gather information, analyze data, and support operational decisions. As AI systems increasingly filter and prioritize information for commanders, they influence the pace of operations and the environment in which strategic choices are made. The integration of AI into defense systems, such as command-and-control networks and broader modernization initiatives, may enhance operational effectiveness but also introduces new risks, including vulnerabilities to data manipulation and algorithmic exploitation. AI’s growing role requires clear doctrine, governance, and ethical accountability to ensure that human judgment and command responsibility remain central to the use of military force.

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  Neuromodulating Mammals for Military Operations: Ethical Responsibility and Governance in Security Domains

  Elise Annett and James Giordano

  This commentary examines ethical and governance challenges associated with the potential use of neurotechnology to influence the behavior of marine mammals for military purposes. While the use of dolphins and sea lions in naval operations has historical precedent, reports suggesting that advanced neurotechnologies may be used to modulate or control the behavior of orcas represent a significant ethical and legal inflection point. Invasive neuromodulation techniques, such as implantable neural interfaces, pharmacological modulation, or remote stimulation raise serious concerns about animal welfare, agency, and the potential dual-use implications of neurotechnology. Stronger governance frameworks, including international dialogue, Department of War policy guidance, expanded ethical oversight, and investment in non-biological alternatives can ensure responsible use of emerging neurotechnologies.

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  Fortifying Technologic Innovation in National Defense: Strategic Security Imperatives for Research and Acquisition

  Diane DiEuliis and James Giordano

  This commentary examines new Department of War initiatives designed to strengthen security protections for defense-funded research within the U.S. defense industrial base. The authors argue that safeguarding innovation is now as critical as accelerating it, particularly as strategic competition intensifies in fields such as artificial intelligence, biotechnology, quantum information science, and advanced materials. The article highlights the importance of a “security-by-design” approach that integrates risk assessment, monitoring of foreign influence, and protection of intellectual property throughout the research and development process. It also emphasizes collaboration among government, academia, and industry to protect sensitive technologies while preserving scientific openness. Strengthening research security will help sustain U.S. technological leadership, protect the integrity of defense innovation ecosystems, and ensure that emerging technologies support long-term national security objectives.

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  Biodeterrence in an Era of Convergent Threats

  James Giordano

  This commentary examines the growing need for a comprehensive biodeterrence strategy in response to the convergence of biotechnology, artificial intelligence, and cross-domain warfare capabilities. Dr. Giordano argues that advances in life sciences, combined with the activities of peer competitors, are transforming the biological domain into a contested strategic space where biological effects intersect with other forms of warfare. Traditional biodefense approaches are no longer sufficient. Instead, this piece calls for an integrated biodeterrence framework that combines biosurveillance, intelligence, public health, and operational planning. Recommendations include developing a Department of War–wide biodeterrence strategy, expanding detection and attribution capabilities, strengthening biotechnology intelligence, integrating biological considerations into broader defense planning, and enhancing partnerships with the biotechnology sector to improve resilience and deterrence.

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  Cognitive Warfare 2026: NATO’s Chief Scientist Report as Sentinel Call for Operational Readiness

  James Giordano

  This commentary examines emerging concepts in cognitive warfare, the use of information, perception shaping, and psychological influence as instruments of strategic competition. It also highlights insights from the 2026 NATO Chief Scientist Report. Dr. Giordano explains that cognitive effects extend traditional information operations by targeting how people think, make decisions, and act in complex environments. Drawing from NATO analysis, he argues that military organizations must integrate cognitive considerations into doctrine, planning, and training to enhance resilience and competitive advantage. Improved operational frameworks, interdisciplinary research, and ethical governance could help allied forces recognize, anticipate, and counter cognitive threats while preserving human agency and alliance cohesion.

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  Laser-focusing Defense Capabilities

  James Giordano

  This commentary examines the growing strategic importance of high-energy laser weapons as part of modern multidomain defense and deterrence. As unmanned systems, hypersonic delivery platforms, and electronic warfare capabilities expand the speed and scale of modern conflict, traditional kinetic defenses face increasing limitations. Directed-energy systems, particularly high-energy lasers, offer scalable, precise, and cost-effective countermeasures against emerging threats. While laser weapons are not a universal solution, continued investment in power generation, beam control, artificial intelligence integration, and operational doctrine could allow these systems to play a central role in future defense architectures. Properly developed and integrated, laser technologies could strengthen deterrence, enhance force protection, and help preserve U.S. operational advantage across air, land, maritime, cyber, and space domains.

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  Quantum Technologies, Part One: Focusing a Bit Upon Realities

  James Giordano

  This commentary examines the current realities of quantum technologies and their implications for national security and defense. While quantum systems are often described as revolutionary, their practical military impact remains uneven and frequently overstated. This analysis reviews three key domains—quantum computing, sensing, and communications, and explains where these technologies currently outperform classical systems and where significant technical limitations remain. In particular, quantum computing is still in a “noisy, intermediate-scale” stage, meaning most applications remain experimental and dependent on advances in error correction, algorithms, and hardware. Understanding both the promise and limitations of quantum technologies is essential for shaping realistic defense investments, force design decisions, and intelligence assessments in a time of intensifying technological competition.

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  Quantum Technologies, Part Two: Recognizing Risks and Threats to National Security and Defense

  James Giordano

  This commentary is Pt. 2 of the Quantum Technologies series and examines the emerging national security implications of quantum technologies and the risks posed by their development and potential use by adversaries. While quantum capabilities remain in relatively early stages of maturity, this piece explains that advances in areas such as quantum computing, sensing, and communications could significantly affect military operations, intelligence, and strategic competition. The analysis emphasizes the importance of realistically assessing both the capabilities and limitations of quantum technologies to avoid exaggerated expectations or complacency. Rather than assuming quantum technologies will immediately transform warfare, the greater risk lies in failing to adapt defense planning and technological development quickly enough as competitors advance their own capabilities. Understanding these emerging risks will be critical to maintaining strategic advantage in future technological competition.

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  The Recent Rash of Biotechnology Risks: A Call to Fortify Force Capability

  James Giordano

  This commentary looks at recent incidents that highlight emerging national security risks posed by advances in biotechnology and synthetic biology. The discovery of suspicious biological materials stored in a residential facility in Reedley, California, and reports that a rare neurotoxin may have been used against Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny illustrate how barriers to acquiring and operationalizing biological and chemical agents are declining. Tools such as gene editing, modular DNA assembly, laboratory automation, and AI-enabled biological design are expanding the range of actors capable of producing or modifying bioagents while complicating detection and attribution. Strengthened biodefense measures, including “biosecurity-by-design,” improved bioforensics and attribution capabilities, enhanced force protection, and closer interagency coordination can address these risk and counter emerging biotechnology threats.

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  Artificial Intelligence: A Double-Edged Sword in Support and Subversion of the Biological Weapons Convention; Part One: Framing the Issues

  Elise Annett, Diane DiEuliis, and James Giordano

  This commentary explores how artificial intelligence (AI) is profoundly affecting the biological enterprise, serving both as a powerful tool for scientific advancement and as a potential vector for misuse. The authors explain that AI can accelerate research, improve diagnostics, and enhance biodefense, but it also lowers barriers to creating or modifying biological agents and can be exploited for harmful ends. The dual effects make AI a "double-edged sword" that challenges existing governance, detection systems, and deterrence frameworks in biosecurity. Responsible integration of AI into biology requires policies that balance innovating with safeguards, strengthened international cooperation, and adaptive oversights to ensure that AI's benefits are realized while minimizing risks to public health and national security.

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  Autonomous Artificial Intelligence in Armed Conflict: Toward a Model of Strategic Integration, Ethical Authority, and Operational Constraint

  Elise Annett and James Giordano

  This commentary explores how autonomous artificial intelligence (AI) is changing the nature of armed conflict and what it means for military strategy. AI-enabled systems, from autonomous sensors to decision aids, can improve situational awareness, speed decision cycles, and support complex operations. But the increasing autonomy of these systems also raises ethical, legal, and strategic questions, especially about accountability, control, and escalation risk. The article proposes a model for integrating autonomous AI into strategy that balances capability gains with ethical oversight and operational restraint. It concludes that responsible adoption of autonomous AI will require clear policy frameworks, robust governance, and multinational cooperation to ensure stability and uphold international norms.

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  The Agentic Database and Military Command: A Perspective on Autonomous C2 Systems

  Elise Annett and James Giordano

  This commentary explores how emerging autonomous command and control (C2) systems, powered by advanced machine learning and data-driven decision engines, are transforming military decision processes. The authors introduce the concept of an “agentic database,” a framework in which autonomous systems actively sense, assess, and act upon dynamic operational data to support or augment human command decisions. While these systems offer potential benefits in speed, situational awareness, and decision quality, they also raise critical questions about accountability, trust, human oversight, and strategic risk. Meaningful integration of autonomous C2 requires doctrinal clarity, clear ethical guidelines, robust verification, and continuous human-machine collaboration to ensure effective, responsible, and controlled use of these technologies in future joint and coalition operations.

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  The “Ins” and “Outs” of Cognitive Warfare: What’s the Next Move?

  Elise Annett and James Giordano

  This commentary examines the evolving landscape of cognitive warfare and argues that strategic competition is increasingly centered on influence in the cognitive domain. China is integrating advances in science and technology, including artificial intelligence, neurotechnology, and information operations into a comprehensive strategy aimed at achieving cognitive dominance over the United States and its allies. The authors describe cognitive engagement as operating “inside-out,” “outside-in,” and through combined effects that shape perceptions, decision-making, and behavior across biological, psychological, and socio-economic dimensions. The article recommends investment in AI-enabled command and control, neuroadaptive human-machine systems, cognitive readiness training, and coordinated multinational narrative dominance.

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  Major Concerns About Microelectronics

  Elise Annett, Steven Hanson, and James Giordano

  This commentary examines the critical role of secure microelectronics in enabling artificial intelligence (AI)–driven military capabilities and sustaining U.S. strategic advantage. As AI accelerates decision cycles, enhances intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), and integrates with neurocognitive systems, its effectiveness depends on trusted semiconductor infrastructure. The authors warn that foreign-manufactured or compromised microelectronic components pose systemic risks to command and control, critical infrastructure, and operational continuity. Supply chain vulnerabilities, including embedded “rogue” devices, could enable sabotage or disruption in contested environments. The article recommends on-shoring microelectronics production, restricting off-shoring of mission-critical components, and strengthening defense-industrial oversight to ensure hardware integrity. Secure microelectronics are foundational to trustworthy AI, human–machine integration, and future battlefield resilience.

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  The Orb’s Eye: Seeing the National Security Implications of Iris Based ‘Proof of Humanity’

  Elise Annett, James M. Keagle, and James Giordano

  This commentary examines the national security implications of iris-based biometric identity systems such as “The Orb,” a device designed to verify human users in an AI-saturated digital environment. While proof-of-personhood technologies may help counter synthetic media, bot networks, and AI-driven disinformation, the authors argue that centralized biometric identity infrastructures create significant strategic vulnerabilities. Risks include surveillance, coercion, identity forgery, cyber-espionage, financial manipulation, and potential use in cognitive warfare or critical infrastructure disruption. The article outlines governance and security recommendations to mitigate dual-use threats. Orb-like systems could either strengthen democratic resilience or become instruments of strategic influence, depending on how they are regulated and secured.

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  Artificial Intelligence: A Double-Edged Sword in Support and Subversion of the Biological Weapons Convention; Part Two: Implications and Recommendations

  Diane DiEuliis, Elise Annett, and James Giordano

  This commentary is Pt. 2 of the "Artificial Intelligence: A Double-Edged Sword in Support and Subversion of the Biological Weapons Convention" series. This piece analyzes how artificial intelligence (AI) interacts with the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) in both supportive and potentially adversarial ways. The authors explain that AI can strengthen biodefense by improving detection, biosurveillance, and compliance monitoring of biological threats. For example, AI can integrate large datasets to identify anomalies in genomic sequences or global research activity that indicate misuse. However, the same capabilities can be exploited to develop, conceal, and disseminate biological agents, automate laboratory processes that lower barriers to misuse, or obscure illicit activities within scientific ecosystems. This dual-use nature means AI acts as a “double-edged sword,” offering new defensive tools while also creating novel risks. The article calls for policies and governance that balance innovation with safeguards to uphold the BWC’s objectives.

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  Brain Scanning: Assessing Emigration of U.S. Scientific Talent to Surveille Strategic Implications for China’s Dual-Use Technological Capabilities

  Diane DiEuliis and James Giordano

  This commentary analyzes the emigration and remote collaboration of U.S.-trained scientists with China and assesses the strategic implications for Beijing’s dual-use research and development ecosystem. The authors argue that the transfer of scientific talent in fields such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, synthetic biology, and neurotechnology strengthens China’s Military-Civil Fusion strategy and accelerates both non-kinetic and kinetic capabilities. At the same time, patterns of talent migration and collaboration can serve as indicators of China’s technological priorities, doctrinal shifts, and defense development timelines. The article proposes a balanced U.S. response that combines improved domestic talent retention, refined vetting of international partnerships, and AI-enabled monitoring of research networks to better anticipate and shape strategic competition in emerging science and technology domains.

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  Beyond Mechanistic Control: Causal Decision Processing in Neuromorphic Military Artificial Intelligence

  James Giordano

  This article explains how neuromorphic artificial intelligence (AI), AI designed to mimic brain-like reasoning, differs from traditional rule-based systems and what that means for military decision-making. Unlike mechanistic AI that reacts predictably to inputs, neuromorphic AI integrates data and context more like the human brain, allowing adaptive responses in complex environments. While this could improve how autonomous systems operate in uncertain conflict zones, it also raises new questions about control, predictability, accountability, and ethical use. The author argues that integrating such systems into defense operations must be guided by clear oversight, doctrine, and ethical frameworks to ensure effectiveness, safety, and stability in future military engagements.

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  Beyond Mechanistic Control: Causal Decision Processing in Neuromorphic Military Artificial Intelligence

  James Giordano

  This commentary explores how neuromorphic artificial intelligence, AI designed to mimic the causal and adaptive processing of the human brain, differs from traditional mechanistic systems and what this means for military applications. Traditional AI follows straightforward stimulus-response patterns that work well in predictable scenarios, but they struggle in complex, dynamic environments. Neuromorphic AI uses more human-like causal processing, integrating multiple streams of data and contextual cues to make decisions that better adapt to ambiguity and uncertainty. While this offers potential advantages in autonomy and operational flexibility, it also raises challenges for predictability, command and control, verification, and accountability. The article argues that successful military integration will require careful oversight, phased implementation, and new training models to ensure ethical, effective, and controllable use of these emerging AI capabilities.

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  Biotechnologies and the Treaty Gap: Why Biological Weapons Governance Is Falling Behind; and Some Thoughts on How to Fix It

  James Giordano

  This commentary examines how rapid advances in biotechnology are outpacing the ability of existing international agreements, especially the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC), to effectively govern emerging risks. Dr. Giordano explains that technologies such as synthetic biology, gene editing, and AI-assisted biological design are creating capabilities that blur the line between legitimate research and potential misuse, leaving enforcement and oversight systems outdated. These developments expose a “treaty gap” in which governance does not match technological reality, undermining global norms against biological weaponization. Strengthening international governance frameworks, improving transparency and verification mechanisms, and incorporating emerging science into treaty language will be essential for preventing misuse while supporting beneficial innovation.

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  Biotechnology in the FY 2026 NDAA: Strategic Implications — and Recommendations — for Joint Force Readiness

  James Giordano

  This commentary analyzes how biotechnology provisions in the FY 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) reflect emerging opportunities and challenges for U.S. national security. It explains that key investments in bioindustrial capacity, synthetic biology, bioinformatics, and related research signal a strategic shift toward integrating biological technologies into defense planning. While these advancements can strengthen biodefense, medical readiness, and operational resilience, they also raise policy, ethical, and governance questions about prioritization, oversight, and risk management. Dr. Giordano offers practical recommendations, including the need for enhanced workforce education, robust interdisciplinary coordination, and international collaboration to ensure responsible innovation. Aligning biotechnology investment with strategic deterrence will be critical for maintaining competitive advantage amid rapid global technological change.

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  Bold New Bioweapons: Part 1 — The Burdens of Detection and Attribution

  James Giordano

  This commentary, Pt. 1 of the Bold New Bioweapons series, examines how advances in gene editing, synthetic biology, and artificial intelligence are reshaping the biological weapons threat landscape and challenging the effectiveness of the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC). Dr. Giordano argues that decentralized research ecosystems, AI-enabled pathogen design, and dual-use biotechnology complicate detection, attribution, and deterrence. Emerging techniques can produce synthetic or modified biological agents that evade traditional surveillance systems and blur distinctions between legitimate research and weaponization. The absence of clear adjudication mechanisms within the BWC creates governance gaps exploitable by state and non-state actors. The article emphasizes that modern biodefense requires enhanced biosurveillance, precision bioinformatics, and AI-driven threat detection to shift from reactive response to proactive deterrence.

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  Bold New Bioweapons: Part 2 — Bold Bolstering of Deterrence and Defense

  James Giordano

  This commentary, Pt. 2 of the Bold New Bioweapons series, argues that modern biological threats demand a proactive transformation of deterrence and defense strategies. Building on earlier analysis of detection and attribution challenges, Dr. Giordano asserts that emerging life sciences and related technologies, such as synthetic biology, gene editing, and AI-driven bioengineering blur distinctions between legitimate research and weaponizable capabilities. This undermines traditional deterrence frameworks. To address these complexities, the article proposes adaptive, interoperable, and ethical approaches that integrate advanced biosurveillance, precision bioinformatics, AI-enabled threat modeling, and global collaborative governance. It emphasizes the need for robust international norms and resilient defense postures that align technological innovation with strategic deterrence, enabling the United States and its allies to shape the future biosecurity environment and reinforce stability.