Sponsors (2)
The bill improves understanding, oversight, and mitigation of AI impacts on warfighter skills—strengthening readiness and accountability—but will cost money, may disrupt training in the short term, and could slow deployment of some AI systems.
Service members: will receive evidence-based recommendations and updated training approaches to preserve critical combat skills while integrating AI, supporting readiness in contested environments.
Department of Defense: will gain standardized metrics and sustained research (controlled experiments, longitudinal studies) to measure skill retention and recovery timelines and inform policy and training.
Congress and taxpayers: will receive timely reports and briefings on AI impacts to warfighter proficiency, improving oversight, transparency, and accountability of DoD AI adoption.
Weapons and operational system developers and military personnel: findings could lead to restrictions or slower fielding of some AI systems if risks to critical skills are high, delaying acquisition and deployment.
Taxpayers and the Department of Defense: conducting additional research and implementing changes will increase DoD costs and resource needs, likely requiring new funding or authorities.
Military personnel and units: training and certification standard reviews may cause short-term operational disruption as proficiencies are assessed and training updated.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Requires DoD to assess how AI adoption affects warfighter skills/readiness and to conduct research to guide training, policy, acquisition, and readiness metrics.
Official title: Require the Secretary of Defense to assess the effects of artificial intelligence integration on warfighter effectiveness, skill retention, and operational readiness, and for other purposes.
Introduced June 4, 2026 by Mark Edward Kelly · Last progress June 4, 2026
Requires the Department of Defense to study and research how adopting AI systems affects warfighter skills, proficiency, and readiness, and to develop policies and training recommendations to preserve critical human capabilities. A senior DoD official must coordinate the assessment and follow a prescribed research program (experiments, simulations, longitudinal studies) and report findings to inform training, doctrine, acquisition, talent management, and readiness metrics; the assessment must begin no later than August 1, 2027.