By Aisha Down
Publication Date: 2026-04-22 17:24:00
The Pentagon is seeking to increase funding for an autonomous drone warfare program by more than 100-fold, according to budget documents released this week, signaling a major shift toward AI-powered war.
In its 2027 budget, the Pentagon has requested over $54 billion to fund the Defense Autonomous Warfare Group, a 24,000% increase from last year.
A budget overview describes this money as being used for “autonomous and remotely controlled systems in the air, on land, and above and below the sea,” including the Drone Dominance program.
The amount is more than half of the UK’s entire defense budget. In an opinion piece published yesterday, former CIA Director David Petraeus said it was “the largest single commitment to autonomous warfare in history.”
But Petraeus and others warned that the U.S. military and AI companies are largely unprepared for the risks and responsibilities of autonomous war.
“I think every AI company should be very concerned about the future of AI…
