A US Airman reviews a product during an artificial intelligence training at Travis Air Force Base, California.
U.S. Air Force photo by Airman Zayd Anderson
The Air Force is embarking on an aggressive push to use artificial intelligence across its training pipelines to shorten technical training timelines, accelerate pilot training, and teach basic AI skills to airmen across the force.These ambitions are outlined in a new guidance document released Wednesday by Air Education and Training Command, which oversees Air Force training, from recruit training and foundational military job training to advanced schools.The coming changes could reshape not only how airmen are trained, but also how instructors teach and how the service manages its people.The push follows Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's January directive to make the military an "AI-first" force and aggressively eliminate bureaucratic barriers to adopting the technology."Every leader from wing commanders to line instructors are expected to overcome cultural resistance, enforce enterprise consolidation, and drive this shift across their organizations," Air Force Lt. Gen. Clark Quinn, who oversees AETC, wrote in a foreword for the new strategic planning. Subordinate commands have three months to figure out how they'll implement Quinn's directive.The resistance mentioned in the new guidance document isn't unique to the military. Use of artificial intelligence, chatbots, and smart devices is skyrocketing, but many Americans remain concerned about the impact AI will have in the US. According to a recent Pew Research Center survey, around 50% of American adults reported using AI chatbots, but many also feel the tech brings more negative impacts than positive.Airmen at all ranks — from fresh arrivals at boot camp to senior officers pursuing professional military education — are set to see "basic data and AI literacy standards" integrated into the training curricula, according to an Air Force press release on the new guidance.
