The United States Air Force has released its first official doctrine note dedicated entirely to artificial intelligence (AI), signaling a strategic commitment to integrating AI across air operations while emphasizing ethical use, human-machine collaboration, and national security priorities.
Air Force Doctrine Note (AFDN) 25-1: “Artificial Intelligence” outlines how the Air Force intends to leverage AI technologies to enhance warfighting capabilities, optimize logistics, improve decision-making, and defend against emerging digital threats. The doctrine presents AI as both a transformative opportunity and a source of complex risks that must be managed through responsible design and governance.
The note acknowledges AI’s growing influence in global military competition and highlights the U.S. Air Force’s need to stay ahead of adversaries.
“AI will assist commanders at every level by accelerating insight, enabling faster and more precise operational decisions,” the doctrine states. “But success depends on ethical employment, trustworthy data, and human-machine teaming that amplifies—not replaces—Airmen.”
Key pillars of the new doctrine include:
- Human-Machine Teaming (HMT): AI will not act autonomously in isolation. Instead, systems will augment human judgment, especially in high-risk strategic operations. The appropriate level of human oversight will be determined by the level of mission risk.
- AI Across Core Functions: From air superiority and global precision attack to rapid mobility and ISR (intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance), AI is expected to improve targeting accuracy, reduce logistical delays, and expand situational awareness across domains.
- Building an AI-Ready Force: The Air Force calls for AI fluency among personnel, stressing education, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and ethical readiness. It also outlines the importance of recruiting and supporting AI talent to maintain a technological edge.
- Ethics and Risk Mitigation: The doctrine underscores the dangers of adversarial data poisoning, surveillance misuse, and reliance on flawed algorithms. It endorses the Department of Defense’s principles for responsible AI and calls for strong cybersecurity safeguards.
- Vision for the Future: Long-term success, according to the Air Force, hinges on sustained investment in data infrastructure, computing capacity, and ethical AI research. The document ends with practical questions to guide the responsible development and deployment of AI solutions.
As military AI capabilities rapidly evolve, AFDN 25-1 serves as a foundation for operationalizing emerging technologies in a manner that supports U.S. defense strategy and aligns with democratic values. It encourages Airmen to push the boundaries of innovation—while never losing sight of their responsibility to uphold trust, accuracy, and accountability in the age of artificial intelligence.
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