Pentagon signs AI deal to aid military decision-making
The Department of Defense has signed a contract with start-up Scale AI to use artificial intelligence for military planning and operations, marking the Pentagon's latest incorporation of emerging tech into its workflows.
The flagship program, dubbed Thunderforge, will integrate AI 'agents' into military workflows to make the decision-making process earlier and faster for military leaders, Scale AI announced Wednesday.
Thunderforge is focused on developing and deploying AI-powered technology with the help of Microsoft's large language model systems. Scale AI's technology will also be incorporated into weapons manufacturer Anduril's modeling and simulation infrastructure to help with mission planning, the company said.
The contract was awarded by the Pentagon's Defense Innovation Unit, which aims to adopt commercial technology throughout the military for national security and efficiency.
Currently, military planning processes depend on 'decades-old technology and methodologies,' Bryce Goodman, DIU's Thunderforge program lead and contractor, said in a blog post.
This creates a 'fundamental mismatch between the speed of modern warfare and our ability to respond,' Goodman said. 'Thunderforge brings AI-powered analysis and automation to operational strategic planning, allowing decision-makers to operate at the pace required for emerging conflicts.'
The system will first be deployed with the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command and U.S. European Command to support planning, campaign developments, resource allocation and assessments, according to the DIU. It will then be scaled across combatant commands.
'Our AI solutions will transform today's military operating process and modernize American defense,' Scale AI founder and CEO Alexnder Wang said in a statement. 'Working together with DIU, Combatant Commands, and our industry partners, we will lead the Joint Force in integrating AI into operational decision-making.'
The Pentagon has tried to increase the integration of AI into military systems over the past few years, especially when it comes to consolidating and acting on large amounts of data.
The Pentagon has specifically pursued a new strategy when it comes to drones, including the ramped up use of AI to defend against drone attacks. Still, observers told The Hill last year that the defense industry faces a long road ahead to field new and emerging technologies.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
How Much the Average Homeowner Has in Savings vs. the Average Renter
Housing is the largest expense for the average American consumer. The more people have to spend on housing, the less money they have available to invest, save, or spend in other categories. But does owning your home instead of renting affect how much you have in your savings account? And is it the best financial decision for you right now? Check Out: Try This: The Federal Reserve's most recent Survey of Consumer Finances suggests the answer is yes. Here's how the average renter's savings compares to those of the average homeowner. The Survey of Consumer Finances data goes back to 1989, and since then, homeowners have always had more in savings than renters, on average. However, the gap between homeowners' and renters' savings has been growing. For example, in 1995, on average, homeowners had around twice as much saved as renters. Now, homeowners have five times more in savings than the average renter. Up Next: The most recent national data estimates that the average renter had $16,930 in savings. That includes all money in savings, checking, emergency funds and money market accounts. Though rent amounts will vary greatly depending on your location and size of your space, the current national average rent in the United States ranges from about $1,625 to $2,100 per month, which is a 1.1% increase compared to last year. By comparison, the average homeowner had $85,430 in savings, which is nearly $70,000 more than the average renter. That's a big difference when it comes to what you're able to allocate for emergency savings and retirement accounts. However, buying a home is not an option for the average savings, as the national average house price in the U.S. for Q1 2025 is $503,800, whereas the median sales price in the same period was $416,900, Perhaps counterintuitively, renting is often less expensive than owning a home. In the largest 50 metropolitan areas in the U.S., the median cost of renting is currently $1,398. This figure has been trending modestly downward since the second half of 2022, and represents the middle ground, with half of rents being higher and half lower, so it is quite subject to fluctuations. The median home price is currently $416,900, and the average mortgage rate is 6.97%, per the Fed. With a 20% down payment and a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage, your monthly mortgage payment likely ranges from $2,167 to $2,715, excluding taxes and insurance. High interest rates are likely driving most of the higher costs of homeownership. If mortgage rates go down as expected, monthly mortgage payments will decrease. However, despite the higher costs, homeowners still save more than renters. So why is there such a big difference between how much renters save and how much homeowners do? One explanation is that rental prices continually increase while the cost of owning a home stays relatively stable after the purchase. Say you buy a new home with a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage. Your monthly housing costs will be stable for the 30 years of the loan. After you've paid off your mortgage, you'll have to pay only taxes, insurance and maintenance. Unexpected maintenance costs, such as roof damage or broken pipes, can eat into a homeowner's savings, whereas renters don't have to pay for these costs out of pocket since they're the landlord's responsibility. However, renters do have to cover rising rental rates nearly every year. Since 2019, rent prices have increased by around 19% nationwide. Rising rent prices can take up larger and larger chunks of renters' budgets. As their housing costs increase, they have less money to put toward savings and other financial goals. By comparison, homeowners have more of their income to put into savings after paying off their mortgages. The bottom line is that if you're a renter hoping to put more in your bank account, you should try these money-saving strategies: Pay off debt with high interest rates: High-interest debt can prevent you from building your savings. Start by paying off any loans with high interest rates, like credit card debt. Live with a roommate: Splitting your housing costs with a roommate will give you extra money each month to put toward savings. Renegotiate with your landlord: When your lease is up and it's time to sign a new one, negotiate your monthly payment. If your landlord charges more than the market rate, it may be worth moving to a more affordable home. Finally, remember to put at least some of your savings into a high-yield savings account so you can grow your money. Caitlyn Moorhead contributed to the reporting for this article. More From GOBankingRates Mark Cuban Warns of 'Red Rural Recession' -- 4 States That Could Get Hit Hard How Much Money Is Needed To Be Considered Middle Class in Every State? 10 Unreliable SUVs To Stay Away From Buying This article originally appeared on How Much the Average Homeowner Has in Savings vs. the Average Renter Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Hamilton Spectator
2 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
U.S. ambassador says Canadians facing device searches, detainment ‘not a pattern'
OTTAWA - The American ambassador to Canada is pushing back on Ottawa's travel advice, saying his country doesn't search phones at the border and arguing some Americans travelling here are having a tough time. 'We welcome Canadians to come in and invest, to spend their hard-earned Canadian dollars at U.S. businesses,' U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra told The Canadian Press in an interview Friday. 'If a Canadian has had a disappointing experience coming into the United States, I'm not denying that it happened, but I'm saying it's an isolated event and it is not a pattern.' In April, Ottawa updated its advice to Canadians travelling to the United States to warn them about the possibility they might be detained if denied entry. 'Expect scrutiny at ports of entry, including of electronic devices,' reads the new guidance. There have been reports of Canadians facing intensified scrutiny at the border, having phones searched and, in some cases, being detained. Hoekstra insisted concerns about device searches are not grounded in reality. 'Coming to the U.S., that's a decision for the Canadians to make. Searching devices and all of that is not a well-founded fear. We don't do that. America is a welcoming place,' he said. He said some Americans have expressed similar concerns about Canada. 'I've heard that from Americans coming into Canada as well, OK? Saying, 'You know, we've not received a warm reception when we've gotten to Canadian customs,'' he said. When asked if these reports from American travellers involve arbitrary phone searches and lengthy detainment, Hoekstra said there are consular cases of Americans complaining to the embassy about the Canada Border Services Agency. 'We've said, 'OK this may have been an isolated event. There may have been a Canadian border person who was having a bad day, and thought they'd take it out on, you know, somebody across the border,'' he said. In a statement, the CBSA said its officers follow a code of conduct and the federal ethics code that both require them to treat everyone equally, and the agency investigates any complaints of mistreatment. 'Employees are expected to conduct themselves in a way that upholds the values of integrity, respect and professionalism at all times,' wrote spokeswoman Karine Martel. 'Treating people with respect, dignity and fairness is fundamental to our border services officers' relationship with the public and a key part of this is serving all travellers in a non-discriminatory way.' Hoekstra said travel to the U.S. is up to individuals. 'If you decide that you're not going to come down or whatever, that's your decision and you're missing an opportunity. There are great things to see in America,' Hoekstra said. He also noted the case of CNN journalist Christiane Amanpour, who recently said she prepared to visit the U.S. last month as if she was 'going to North Korea' — with a 'burner phone' that didn't carry any personal information — only to experience a warm welcome. 'It's like, (let's) get past the rhetoric and let's look at the real experiences that people are having here,' Hoekstra said. Airlines have been cutting flights between Canada and the U.S. due to a slump in demand, and Flight Centre Travel Group Canada reported a nearly 40 per cent drop in flights between the two countries year-over-year in February. A survey in early May conducted by Leger Marketing for the Association for Canadian Studies found 52 per cent of respondents feel that 'it is no longer safe for all Canadians travelling to the United States,' with 29 per cent disagreeing and 19 per cent saying they were unsure. Roughly the same proportion said they personally feel unwelcome in the U.S. LGBTQ+ groups have opted against attending World Pride events in Washington and United Nations events in New York, citing scrutiny at the border as the Trump administration scales back protections for transgender and nonbinary people. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 7, 2025.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Scholarship celebration honors Black college-bound seniors
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (WMBD) — Hundreds gathered at a Bloomington church on Saturday to celebrate Black excellence in the classroom. The ceremony was held at 2 p.m. Saturday, June 7, at Mount Pisgah Baptist Church. It was sponsored by the Mentoring and Providing Scholarships Program, a local non-profit that mentors black students to learn etiquette, financial literacy and public speaking skills. More than $80,000 in scholarships were awarded to Black college-bound seniors for their academic achievements and community service. 'The annual Joint Scholarship Celebration plays an integral role in celebrating the successes of African American students,' Carla Campbell-Jackson, co-founder of MAPS, said. 'The MAPS Program is invaluable for students, and for our community, as we are developing 'real time' leaders and thought partners, who will continue to make a difference locally, and beyond.' Money for the scholarships was gathered with the help of African-American sororities, fraternities, and community-based organizations. MAPS looks to help students prepare for the professional world with important skills such as public speaking, said Shaun Harden, one of the students who received several scholarships. 'MAPS has been really great, especially for professional development. For instance, one of our previous sessions was about public speaking,' Harden said. 'We talked about how we were able to approach the stand and how we were able to address the audience properly, how to avoid filler words, a lot of different proper speaking things that you don't really get to learn other than through experience.' Local philanthropists also contributed to the scholarship fund, which helped raise more money for African American students looking to pursue higher education. Keynote speakers for the event included NAACP Image Award Winner and WMBD Summer Intern Bradley Ross Jackson and Teresa Haley, who shared some information and advice with the students. 'I learned that if you work hard, if you stay strong and determined, and continue to try to do your best and give back to the communities that have supported you, that you will eventually be rewarded in the end,' said Gabrielle Johnson, the president of the Bloomington-Normal NAACP Youth Council. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
