Artificial Intelligence for the Military Act of 2021
Bill: S.1776 | Sponsor: Sen. Portman, Rob (R-OH)
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
Artificial Intelligence for the Military Act of 2021
This bill requires the implementation of training and education related to emerging technologies and artificial intelligence for certain military personnel.
The bill requires expansion of the curriculum for military junior leader education to incorporate training material related to focuses that include problem definition and curation and a conceptual understanding of the artificial intelligence life cycle. Such training and education should include the use of existing artificial intelligence-enabled systems and tools.
The Department of Defense (DOD) must ensure that the curriculum for professional military education is revised in each of the military services to incorporate periodic courses on militarily significant emerging technologies.
DOD must establish a short course on emerging technologies for general and flag officers and senior executive-level civilian leaders. The course must be taught on an iterative, two-year cycle and address the most recent and relevant technologies and the application of these technologies to military and business outcomes in DOD.
DOD must ensure that the military services code appropriate billets to be filled by emerging technology-qualified officers and develop a process for qualification of officers in emerging technologies.
The process for qualifying officers for emerging technology-coded billets must be modeled on a streamlined version of the joint qualification process and may include credit for serving in emerging technology-focused (1) fellowships, (2) talent exchanges, (3) government positions, and (4) education courses.

To implement recommendations relating to military training on emerging 
                             technologies.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Artificial Intelligence for the 
Military Act of 2021''.

SEC. 2. INTEGRATING DIGITAL SKILL SETS AND COMPUTATIONAL THINKING INTO 
              MILITARY JUNIOR LEADER EDUCATION.

    Not later than 270 days after the date of the enactment of this 
Act, the Chief of Staff of the Army, the Chief of Naval Operations, the 
Chief of Staff of the Air Force, and the Commandant of the Marine Corps 
shall expand the curriculum for military junior leader education to 
incorporate appropriate training material related to problem definition 
and curation, a conceptual understanding of the artificial intelligence 
lifecycle, data collection and management, probabilistic reasoning and 
data visualization, and data-informed decisionmaking. Whenever 
possible, the new training and education should include the use of 
existing artificial intelligence-enabled systems and tools.

SEC. 3. INTEGRATION OF MATERIAL ON EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES INTO 
              PROFESSIONAL MILITARY EDUCATION.

    Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this 
Act, the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Joint Chiefs of 
Staff, shall ensure that the curriculum for professional military 
education is revised in each of the military services to incorporate 
periodic courses on militarily significant emerging technologies that 
increasingly build the knowledge base, vocabulary, and skills necessary 
to intelligently analyze and utilize emerging technologies in the 
tactical, operational, and strategic levels of warfighting and 
warfighting support.

SEC. 4. SHORT COURSE ON EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES FOR SENIOR CIVILIAN AND 
              MILITARY LEADERS.

    (a) In General.--Not later than one year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall establish a short 
course on emerging technologies for general and flag officers and 
senior executive-level civilian leaders. The short course shall be 
taught on an iterative, two-year cycle and shall address the most 
recent, most relevant technologies and how these technologies may be 
applied to military and business outcomes in the Department of Defense.
    (b) Throughput Objectives.--In assessing participation in the short 
course authorized by subsection (a), the Secretary of Defense shall 
ensure that--
            (1) in the first year that the course is offered, no fewer 
        than 20 percent of general flag officers and senior executive-
        level civilian leaders are certified as having passed the short 
        course required by subsection (a); and
            (2) in each subsequent year, an additional 10 percent of 
        general flag officers and senior executive-level civilian 
        leaders are certified as having passed such course, until such 
        time as 80 percent of such officers and leaders are so 
        certified.

SEC. 5. EMERGING TECHNOLOGY-CODED BILLETS WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF 
              DEFENSE.

    (a) In General.--Not later than one year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall ensure that the 
military services--
            (1) code appropriate billets to be filled by emerging 
        technology-qualified officers; and
            (2) develop a process for officers to become qualified in 
        emerging technologies.
    (b) Appropriate Positions.--Emerging technology-coded positions may 
include, as appropriate--
            (1) positions responsible for assisting with acquisition of 
        emerging technologies;
            (2) positions responsible for helping integrate technology 
        into field units;
            (3) positions responsible for developing organizational and 
        operational concepts;
            (4) positions responsible for developing training and 
        education plans; and
            (5) leadership positions at the operational and tactical 
        levels within the military services.
    (c) Qualification Process.--The process for qualifying officers for 
emerging technology-coded billets shall be modeled on a streamlined 
version of the joint qualification process and may include credit for 
serving in emerging technology focused fellowships, emerging technology 
focused talent exchanges, emerging technology focused positions within 
government, and educational courses focused on emerging technologies.
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