Vice President JD Vance cautioned incoming Air Force cadets on Thursday regarding the risks associated with artificial intelligence in military contexts, urging them to leverage emerging technology to enhance their skills without "giving in to it."
"Life and death decisions should be made by people, not computers," Vance said during hiscommencement speechat the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
As AI reshapes the battlefield—sometimes in beneficial ways and sometimes not—I urge you to be protective and self-serving regarding your role as a decision-maker in warfare. Utilize technology to enhance your capabilities, but never surrender to it.
Vance referenced Pope Leo XIV'sencyclicalreleased on Monday, the pontiff issued a warning regarding uncontrolled developments in AI, encouraging caution that does not hinder progress but serves as "the practice of responsible stewardship for humanity."
Pope Leo XIV, in a recent statement, urged humanity not to delegate the most critical moral choices to digital technology. 'I wish to support this idea and tailor it specifically for each of you,' Vance mentioned.
"Artificial intelligence will certainly transform warfare, and naturally— as you've discovered in the past four years— it has already begun to do so. However, one aspect that sets Americans apart, that makes you as warriors distinctive, is our commitment to waging war in a just manner," he continued.
"But when I say that we—each and every one of us—fight wars justly, I mean that you must do so, because you are the ones carrying it out. You are the ones leading on the battlefield," Vance said.
You are the ones who make sure that our effectiveness in warfare, which is remarkable and essential, can exist alongside our compassion and our moral compass. It's a tremendous responsibility to place on your shoulders, but it's one we give to you with complete trust.
Vance acknowledged the graduates with a salute and a handshake as they walked across the stage. While it had been lightly raining earlier in the morning at Falcon Stadium, the rain stopped during the ceremony.
The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds passed over the graduates as they hurled their caps into the sky after the event, although the Thunderbirds' aerial display was called off due to the weather conditions.
"You are the experts in combat — your minds and hearts are the complete opposite of artificial. Cadets, four years later, you are vastly different from the young men and women who first arrived on I-Day [In-processing Day]," Vance said.
"You've transformed completely, yet the world around you has also evolved. And the commitment to protect our United States, regardless of what the world may throw at us, stays unchanged," he continued.
And likewise, the profound appreciation that the rest of America holds for you.
Out of the 931 graduating cadets, 805 will be posted to the Air Force and 94 will join the Space Force, as reported byColorado NewslineTen are transferred to different military branches, while 13 international students will return to their respective countries, including Taiwan, Jordan, and Malaysia.
Students from the Class of 2026, you are graduating during a time when the certainty and predictability of war are becoming increasingly hard to overlook. 'Technology is advancing at a pace that military organizations have not typically experienced before,' Vance stated.
"Now, some of you will work in the air, some in cyber, and others in space. Many of you will have roles that would have seemed like science fiction to graduates of this academy just 20 years ago," he continued.
"But the roles you are about to assume are extremely serious. They are not science fiction," Vance stated.
"They have become a reality because our enemies are examining this nation daily. They are analyzing our military strategies," he stated.
"They're examining our manufacturing capabilities. They're looking at our political disagreements, and how long we can focus," Vance added.
"And, new graduates, they are analyzing you. The key point about this particular group is that no one can assure you that the skills you gained over the past four years will stay relevant," he said.
They will soon become highly practical and very tangible."
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