Pentagon says employees can create their own ‘custom AI assistants’ with new tech
The Defense Department on Tuesday unveiled a new “Agent Designer” tool that will run on its GenAI.mil platform.
The tool is being integrated with Google Gemini capabilities, according to the announcement.
In a message posted on social media, the Pentagon CTO’s office said that 3 million employees at the department — including those without coding experience — can use the technology to create their own “custom AI assistants to automate tasks and streamline complex workflows” for a variety of mission areas.
“These custom agents can perform multi-step tasks, ingest various data sources, and be shared with teams for immediate deployment,” according to the post. “Now, operators can automatically generate after-action reports, analysts can synthesize [Controlled Unclassified Information] images into memos, and comptrollers can build apps to analyze financial data. From logistics to strategy, Agent Designer empowers you to build the tools needed for increased efficiency.”
Some “pre-built agents” are also available for users, per the announcement.
GenAI.mil has become the preferred generative artificial intelligence platform for all the military services under the DOD since it was launched in December, amid a broader push by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and CTO Emil Michael to accelerate AI adoption across the department for warfighter missions and back-office functions.
In addition to Google Gemini, the department plans to add to its GenAI.mil platform more tools developed by ChatGPT maker OpenAI and Elon Musk’s xAI, which created Grok. Tuesday’s announcement didn’t say whether Agent Designer will be tied in with those capabilities.
The Pentagon had been expected to integrate Anthropic’s AI tools into GenAI.mil, but the department recently cut ties with the company and designated it a supply chain risk after a heated dispute about terms of use for the contractor’s technology related to the firm’s concerns about autonomous weapons and mass domestic surveillance. Anthropic filed suit on Monday against the DOD and other agencies, arguing that the Trump administration’s ban on its tech and the supply-chain risk designation are unlawful.
