Arnel P. David

The Untapped Role of AI in Military Decision- Making The Maven Smart System (MSS), now deployed broadly across U.S. commands and in some cases already providing these services, as an exemplar throughout. From the Gulf War to Operation Epic Fury, coalition operations have amplified American power, but they have also exposed persistent friction: incompatible networks, conflicting classification rules, national caveats tracked in “enormous spreadsheets,” and language barriers that, at their worst, have contributed to near-fatal incidents in the field. The hope animating this paper is that AI-enabled decision support systems (AI-DSS)—software platforms that ingest, analyze, visualize, and share vast and disparate data—can help coalitions operate more effectively together. Allies and partners are facing political backlash over deals with U.S. technology vendors, ranging from AI-DSS developers like Palantir, the prime contractor for MSS, to generative AI companies. Concerns over the reliability of U.S. commercial partners are exacerbated by recent U.S. government actions against the AI company Anthropic. This paper examines four specific applications of AI-DSS for allied and partner operations: building a common operating picture (COP), supporting coalition targeting decisions, accelerating the foreign disclosure information-sharing process, and bridging language differences. 1) Build and calibrate confidence in AI-DSS through demonstrations, exercises, and transparency. Uncertainty about AI-DSS can be partly addressed through direct exposure and experience. Exercises like the XVIII Airborne Corps’ Scarlet Dragon and NATO Task Force Maven’s outreach offer replicable models. Candid discussion of AI advantages and incidents will further calibrate allied confidence and demystify the technology for the public. 2) Presume AI sovereignty and prepare for “haves and have-nots.” The sovereign AI impulse reflects durable political and economic interests that are unlikely to dissipate. CDAO should define technical and policy standards that willing partners can adopt to facilitate AI-DSS integration and interoperability. 3) Invest in data, data sharing, and data governance. The AI-DSS opportunity is wasted without data. This means elevating allied data generation; establishing common cybersecurity certificates and data sharing agreements (such as common data use agreements or AUKUS-like ITAR exemptions); and accelerating investment in cross-domain solutions for the efficient transfer of information to coalition networks. 4) Invest in NATO Maven. NATO has the infrastructure, policy frameworks, and political will that are preconditions for coalition AI-DSS success. CDAO should treat Task Force Maven as both an operational asset and a learning laboratory, and use those lessons to accelerate adoption with critical Pacific partners, with AUKUS Pillar II as a potential coordination forum.

Came home to a nice care package. Shout out to Director Col. Arnel David for sending some awesome Task Force Maven merch! “From the Ashes of Stagnation, Digital Transformation arises… Enabling The Alliance. Multi-domain Kill Chain” Maven is CJADC2! Maven is the linchpin!

Maven Smart System continues to change the game. New article by @arnelpdavid is a must read. “We are witnessing a new reality where digital exhaust is converted into lethal kinetic targeting at a speed that makes legacy military structures obsolete. If Western armed forces continue to view procurement through the lens of buying shinier platforms rather than building superior networks, they are preparing for a war that no longer exists. This may be the greatest lesson learned out of this conflict.”