Commentary

April 27, 2026

Losing the Loop: A Model for Human Operational Involvement Part Two: A Proposed System Toward a Solution

Last week’s “Losing the Loop: Iteratively Autonomous Artificial Intelligence and the Question of Human Operational Involvement” examined how increasing autonomy in agentic AI reshapes the structure, tempo, and locus of human decision-making in operational environments, particularly as these systems transition from analytic tools to increasingly directive and generative components of the human–machine team. Seen in sequence, the logic is cumulative. The first section demonstrates how autonomy can erode the integrity of the decision loop. The second makes that erosion visible, locating the specific points at which human judgment becomes constrained or displaced.

April 21, 2026

Losing the Loop: Iteratively Autonomous Artificial Intelligence and the Question of Human Operational Involvement

The U.S. Department of War is rapidly scaling the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) to the warfighter, streamlining routine tasks so operators can focus on what matters most. The successful launch of GenAI.MIL signals both momentum and institutional commitment to embedding AI across operational environments.

April 16, 2026

Breaking (Bad) Biotech — Revisiting the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention

Dr. Giordano explores how advances in biotechnology, like gene editing and AI, allow adversaries to easily create novel, weaponizable biological agents that are difficult to detect and defend against. In an evolving operational environment, the nature of biological warfare has shifted.

April 15, 2026

INSS Joins ASU Webinar to Discuss Ethical Frontiers of BCIs in Military Contexts

There are growing considerations of using current and emerging neurotechnology to develop brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) aimed at optimizing performance of the joint warfighter.

April 9, 2026

Cognitive Warfare and the Changing Character of Engagement: A Neurostrategic Perspective

The contemporary battlespace is undergoing a profound transformation in its fundamental logic.

April 8, 2026

Controlling Command: Is AI Capturing the Ethics of War?

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) with military operations is accelerating across global powers, including the United States, its allies, and competitor states such as China and Russia.

March 31, 2026

Defining the Palette of Biodeterrence: Appreciating a Broader Toolkit

As noted in the recently released Biodeterrence Framework, biological weapons present a uniquely complex challenge to traditional models of deterrence, in that their development can be concealed within ostensibly legitimate scientific enterprise, their effects may be delayed or ambiguous, and their attribution can often be difficult, particularly given the increasingly broadened scope of biothreat possibilities.

March 11, 2026

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

Unmanned vehicular systems (UVS) spanning aerial, maritime, terrestrial, and sub-surface domains have become integral to intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR), logistics, strike operations, and electronic warfare. Yet despite the increasing ubiquity and sophistication of these technologies, discourse surrounding their capabilities can be undermined by imprecise terminology that conflates the terms automatic, remote, and autonomous in policy, technical, operational, strategic and policy briefings and planning.

March 10, 2026

From Theory to Policy: The Four Waves and U.S. Counterterrorism

This article examines United States (U.S.) counterterrorism policy through the lens of David C. Rapoport’s four waves theory.

March 4, 2026

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

Research into consideration and possible utility of employing marine mammals in military support operations is nothing new.