Overview

• The Department of Energy framed AI as the “next Manhattan Project,” signaling an all-out federal effort to integrate machine learning into nuclear technology modernization
• OpenAI forged a partnership with U.S. National Laboratories to apply its AI models toward enhancing nuclear weapon security protocols
• The Pentagon is ramping up AI-based decision-support systems for missile operations while affirming that human officers will retain ultimate authority over launch decisions
• Nobel laureates and nuclear experts at a July University of Chicago conference concluded that AI’s role in nuclear command is unavoidable yet fraught with existential risks
• Analysts caution that current AI limitations—such as hallucinations and potential cybersecurity breaches—could introduce new vulnerabilities to sensitive nuclear control systems