Pentagon’s James Mazol on data, AI and autonomy

James Mazol, Deputy Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering, discussed the transformative impact of AI and autonomy on defense operations. He emphasized that AI acts as an exponential accelerant, enabling tailored individual training programs and faster, data-driven tactical evolutions through modeling and simulation. Mazol identified the primary barrier to connected command and control not as technical but as a leadership and policy challenge related to data silos. To combat this, he highlighted the War Data Platform. He also shared the “Patent Holiday” initiative, which breaks down silos by allowing industry to evaluate DOW patents for free, turning dormant technology into operational assets.