Lines of Thought

Project Meridian and the race to govern military AI

As the US builds an AI-first military with its own autonomous warfare command, who is setting the limits on military AI, and where?

Civil AI laws such as the EU AI Act stop short of military uses, so limits on military AI have come from three other places: lab usage policies, US executive orders and procurement terms, and slow UN talks. This line follows the US move from 'any lawful use' contracts and the Anthropic fight to Project Meridian, set against the CCW push for binding rules.

  1. Rule · Partly in forceEU
    EU AI Act

    The world's broadest AI law excludes systems used exclusively for military, defence or national security (Art. 2(3)).

    Also on Transparency, not licensing, Who decides if a medical AI is safe?

  2. Rule · In forceUS
    EO 14179

    The US 'AI dominance' policy that the Pentagon's strategy cites as its mandate.

    Also on Washington vs the states on AI rules

  3. StatementDefenceINTL US
    UN General Assembly backs autonomous-weapons resolution 164-6; US votes no

    164 states back work toward an autonomous-weapons instrument; the US is one of six no votes.

  4. PolicyDefenceUS
    Hegseth orders an 'AI-first' military and 'any lawful use' terms for AI contracts

    The Pentagon demands 'any lawful use' terms and new models within 30 days of release.

    Also on The Pentagon, the labs and the limits on use, Who supplies the AI-first military?

  5. Enforcement or rulingDefenceUS
    Pentagon labels Anthropic a supply-chain risk after it refuses to drop two limits

    A lab's own red lines on surveillance and autonomous weapons collide with that demand.

    Also on The Pentagon, the labs and the limits on use, Who supplies the AI-first military?, Procurement as AI policy

  6. Rule · In forceUS
    EO 14409 (covered frontier models)

    Washington's frontier-model security order relies on voluntary pre-release access, not licensing.

    Also on The Pentagon, the labs and the limits on use, When models learned to hack, Transparency, not licensing

  7. PolicyDefenceUS
    Presidential memo orders rapid rewrite of Pentagon autonomous-weapons rules

    The White House orders a fast rewrite of the main US autonomous-weapons directive.

  8. StatementDefenceINTL FR
    UN expert group agrees final report on autonomous weapons; treaty question deferred

    Geneva talks end in a non-binding consensus report, leaving the treaty question to November.

  9. ProgrammeDefenceUS
    Hegseth launches Project Meridian with Musk, Luckey and Gingrich to plan future war

    Musk, Luckey and Gingrich are asked to define the capabilities of future war in 120 days.

    Also on The Pentagon, the labs and the limits on use, Who supplies the AI-first military?

  10. Country
    United States (federal)

    See how US federal AI policy fits together beyond defence.

    Also on Is the AI boom a financial-stability risk?, Procurement as AI policy, Is AI taking jobs yet?

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