FY2026 NDAA, Section 1535 ("Artificial Intelligence Futures Steering Committee")

Summary

Establishes the Artificial Intelligence Futures Steering Committee by April 1, 2026, under the Secretary of Defense.

Comprises key defense leaders, such as the Deputy Secretary of Defense and the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Holds responsibility for formulating policies for the governance, adoption, and risk mitigation of advanced AI systems, including those approaching artificial general intelligence.

Analyzes the trajectory of emerging AI technologies, such as neuromorphic computing and agentic algorithms.

Assesses adversaries' AI capabilities and potential operational effects of integrating AI into Department of Defense systems.

Develops strategies for ethical and technical AI integration, outlining resource requirements and goals.

Requires meetings at least quarterly.

Instructs the Deputy Secretary of Defense to report findings by January 31, 2027, and mandates public release of the unclassified portion.

Terminates the committee's responsibilities on December 31, 2027.

Defines

Requires the Secretary of Defense to establish the Artificial Intelligence Futures Steering Committee by April 1, 2026.

SEC. 1535. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE FUTURES STEERING COMMITTEE. (a) Establishment.-- (1) In general.--Not later than April 1, 2026, the Secretary of Defense shall establish a steering committee on advanced artificial intelligence capabilities. (2) Designation.--The steering committee established pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be known as the ``Artificial Intelligence Futures Steering Committee'' (in this section the ``Steering Committee''). (b) Membership.--The Steering Committee shall be composed of the following: (1) The Deputy Secretary of Defense. (2) The Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. (3) The Vice Chief of Staff of the Army. (4) The Vice Chief of Staff of Naval Operations. (5) The Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps. (6) The Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force. (7) The Vice Chief of Space Operations. (8) The Vice Chief of the National Guard Bureau. (9) The Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment. (10) The Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering. (11) The Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security. (12) The Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller)/Chief Financial Officer. (13) Such representatives from the military departments as the Secretary considers appropriate. (14) The Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Officer of the Department of Defense. (15) Representatives of such innovation centers within the defense innovation ecosystem as the Secretary of Defense determines appropriate. (16) Representatives of such other organizations and elements of the Department of Defense as the Secretary determines appropriate.

Requires the steering committee to formulate policies for the Department of Defense's AI usage and analyze AI development trajectories.

(c) Co-chairpersons.--The Deputy Secretary of Defense and the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff shall serve as the co-chairs of the Steering Committee. (d) Responsibilities.--The Steering Committee shall be responsible for-- (1) formulating a proactive policy for the evaluation, adoption, governance, and risk mitigation of advanced artificial intelligence systems by the Department of Defense that are more advanced than any existing advanced artificial intelligence systems, including advanced artificial intelligence systems that approach or achieve artificial general intelligence; (2) analyzing the forecasted trajectory of advanced and emerging artificial intelligence models and enabling technologies across multiple time horizons that could enable artificial general intelligence, including-- (A) current and emerging artificial intelligence models, including frontier and world models; (B) agentic algorithms; (C) neuromorphic computing; (D) cognitive science applications for the development of artificial intelligence algorithms or models; (E) infrastructure needs for infrastructure required to support the deployment of new or emerging artificial intelligence systems at a scale projected necessary for future capacity; (F) new or emerging microelectronics designs or architectures; and (G) such other technologies as the Steering Committee determines appropriate;

Requires the committee to assess adversaries' AI trajectories and analyze efects of integrating AI into DoD systems and networks.

(3) assess the possible technological, operational, and doctrinal trajectories of adversaries of the United States with respect to the uses of artificial intelligence capabilities by such adversaries across various time horizons, including any pursuit or development by such adversaries of artificial general intelligence; (4) analyzing the potential operational effects of integrating advanced or general purpose artificial intelligence into networks and systems of the Department of Defense from a technical, doctrinal, training, and resourcing perspective to better understand and assess how use of such networks and systems by the Department of Defense may affect future commanders of operational commands;

Requires the committee to develop a strategy that considers threats for AI governance, adoption, and oversight, as well as analyze the AI adversarial threat landscape.

(5) developing a strategy for the risk-informed adoption, governance, and oversight of advanced or general purpose artificial intelligence by the Department, including-- (A) articulation of ethical, policy, and technical guardrails to maintain, to the extent practical, appropriate human decision making in and prevent the misuse of such advanced or general purpose artificial intelligence; (B) an assessment of 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; (C) broad resource requirements for artificial intelligence, including funding, personnel, and infrastructure; and (D) measurable goals to support Department-level decision making on resourcing, programming and budgeting; and (6) analyzing the threat landscape associated with the use of advanced artificial intelligence, including artificial general intelligence, by adversaries of the United States and developing options and counter-artificial intelligence strategies to defend against such use.

Requires the Steering Committee to meet at least once every three months and the Deputy Secretary of Defense to report the committee's findings to congress by January 31, 2027.

(e) Meeting Frequency.--The Steering Committee shall meet not less frequently than once every three months. (f) Report.-- (1) In general.--Not later than January 31, 2027, the Deputy Secretary of Defense shall submit to the congressional defense committees a report on the findings of the Steering Committee with respect to the matters described in subsection (d). (2) Form of report.--The report submitted pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified annex. (3) Public availability.--The Deputy Secretary of Defense shall make available to the public the unclassified portion of the report submitted pursuant to paragraph (1).

Defines "artificial intelligence" and "innovation ecosystem" for purposes of the section, which terminates December 31, 2027.

(g) Sunset.--The requirements and authorities of this section shall terminate on December 31, 2027. (h) Definitions.--In this section: (1) The term ``artificial intelligence'' has the meaning given such term in 238(g) of the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (Public Law 115-232; 10 U.S.C. note prec. 4061). (2) The term ``innovation ecosystem'' means a regionally based network of private sector, academic, and government institutions in a network of formal and informal institutional relationships that contribute to technological and economic development in a defined technology sector or sectors.