SUPERMAN might have beaten bullets with his speed, but the U.S. Defense Department intends to do better. It has its sights set on developing cognitive technologies—computer vision, machine learning, natural language processing, for example—that are faster than the speed of human thought. The military plans to tap machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI), in particular, to enhance decision making. Both technologies figure prominently into the department's third offset strategy, which pursues next-generation technologies to ensure U.S. military superiority over adversaries such as Russia and China while strengthening conventional deterrence. More grounded department goals for the technologies include shoring up networks against cyberthreats, unburdening the work force from performing tedious and repetitive tasks, and improving battlefield command.
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