空军中的Honchoing AI

Executive SummaryPopular visions of military artificial intelligence (AI) might evoke an all-seeingsuperintelligence directing autonomous drone swarms—while servicemembers sit farfrom danger and decision-making alike. This AI hype does not yet comport with reality.More importantly, it distracts from the real opportunity facing the U.S. Air Force(USAF): integrating AI in ways that improve mission effectiveness now.The USAF can best harness AI by diffusing the technology across the institution tooffload onerous, low-complexity tasks from humans to machines. This requires:•Embedding AI engineersin operational and support units to rapidly identify,develop, and iterate applications.•Empowering a senior trilingual AI leader—fluent in technology, operations,andacquisition—with a six-to-ten-year tenure to guide and scale innovation.•Retaining critical talent, including the operators, engineers, and leaders neededto build and sustain effective capabilities.While diffusion drives AI innovation’s breadth and speed, leadership and expertiseensurethatits depth and direction align with USAF goals. This places primacy onUSAF personnel taking charge of(honchoing)AI adoption while maintaining theircentral role in executing the mission. Doing so will result in a practical, better-sensing,better-knowing, and better-executing force that balances time, cognitive workload,and risk to better achieve a military advantage. Center for Security and Emerging Technology |2 Table of ContentsExecutive Summary................................................................................................................................1Introduction...............................................................................................................................................4Background...............................................................................................................................................5Engineering AI Innovation: Offloading Time, Cognitive Workload, and Risk......................6Leading AI Innovation.........................................................................................................................17Retaining AI Innovation......................................................................................................................21Honchoing AI Innovation...................................................................................................................22Author......................................................................................................................................................23Acknowledgments...............................................................................................................................23Endnotes.................................................................................................................................................24 Center for Security and Emerging Technology |3 IntroductionArtificial intelligence (AI) is poised to shape the future of military competition, but notin the way many headlines suggest. Visions of autonomousdroneswarms or all-knowing algorithms distract from the real and immediate challenge: organizing theU.S. Air Force (USAF) to harness AI in ways that are practical, scalable, and alignedwith its mission.While emerging technologies often generate hype, the real test of innovation is notinvention,but integration. The USAF’s success will hinge not onisolatedbreakthroughs, but on how well it can diffuse AI tools across the force to improveoperations, offload routine burdens, and unlock human potential. That diffusionrequires more than technology. It requires people.This brief argues that the USAF’s ability to win future conflicts will depend on howwell itembeds,empowers, andretainsthe talent needed for AI adoption.This brief first explores how embedded engineers can drive innovation from the groundup by offloading time-consuming, cognitively taxing, or risky tasks. Second, itaddresses the organizational leadership required to steer AI innovation aroundinstitutional obstacles and scale successful practices. Third, it highlights the retentionchallenges the Air Force must overcome.AI is not a silver bullet,but with the right people in the right roles, theUSAFcandiffuse AI in the form of many “bronze bullets” that collectively deliver a militaryadvantage. That effort must begin now, and it must focus on the people.*ChatGPT, response to author’s prompt, assisted in draftingsentence, OpenAI,May20, 2025.†ChatGPT, response to author’s prompt, OpenAI, May 20, 2025. Center for Security and Emerging Technology |4*† BackgroundThis brief is intended to inform USAF senior leadership and defense policymakersseeking to accelerate AI adoption without compromisingwarfightingeffectiveness. Ituses the following definition of AI: a machine learning system that uses computingpower toexecute algorithms that learn from data.1Any AI advantage is bound byavailable