The fiscal 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, unveiled Sunday by House and Senate negotiators, requires the Department of Defense to establish an "Artificial Intelligence Futures Steering Committee" by April 1, 2026. The committee represents Congress's first formal directive for the military to analyze and prepare for artificial general intelligence.
What the Committee Will Do
The steering committee faces a broad mandate: formulating policy for evaluating, adopting, governing, and mitigating risks associated with AI systems that approach or achieve AGI. Under the bill's language, the panel must analyze emerging technologies that could lead to AGI, including frontier models, agentic algorithms, neuromorphic computing, and cognitive science applications.
The group will be co-chaired by the Deputy Secretary of Defense and the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Other members include service vice chiefs, the vice chief of the National Guard Bureau, undersecretaries for acquisition, research, intelligence, and comptroller functions, plus the Pentagon's chief digital and AI officer.
Human Override Requirements
The legislation explicitly addresses human control over AI systems. The committee must assess "potential effects on commanders of operational commands, including effects related to maintaining oversight of mission command when using artificial intelligence and the capability for humans to override artificial intelligence through technical, policy, or other operational controls."
This provision aligns with longstanding DOD policy that humans remain in the loop for critical military decisions, particularly those involving lethal force.
Tracking Adversary AI Programs
Lawmakers directed the committee to examine the technological and operational trajectories of U.S. adversaries with regard to advanced AI, including any pursuit of artificial general intelligence. The bill specifically tasks the group with developing counter-AI strategies the Pentagon could pursue against such threats.
The legislation tasks the group with developing counter-AI strategies against U.S. adversaries pursuing advanced AI capabilities.
Timeline and Reporting
The Deputy Secretary of Defense must submit a report on the committee's findings, including resource requirements for AI initiatives, to congressional defense committees no later than January 31, 2027.
Both the House and Senate must pass the compromise NDAA, which authorizes $900.6 billion for defense spending (roughly $8 billion above President Trump's budget request). The House Rules Committee could take up the bill as early as this week, with Senate passage and presidential signature expected to follow.
