Michael: DOD diversifying AI vendor base following software terms dispute
Emil Michael · Emil Michael: The Department of War Is Moving Faster Than Silicon Valley on AI | The a16z Show · Mar 13, 2026 · at 12:27
Emil Michael, Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, details the Department of Defense's reaction after a commercial AI vendor raised concerns over software usage during a covert military operation.
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“So that set off a series of events of, whoa, are we single-threaded on a vendor who's concerned about how we're using their software after the most successful military raid and the terms of service do not comport with the future world? We've got to get other partners in here and we've got to move.”
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