Author Archive

Patrick Tucker

Science & Technology Editor

Patrick Tucker
Patrick Tucker is science and technology editor for Defense One. He’s also the author of The Naked Future: What Happens in a World That Anticipates Your Every Move? (Current, 2014). Previously, Tucker was deputy editor for The Futurist for nine years. Tucker has written about emerging technology in Slate, The Sun, MIT Technology Review, Wilson Quarterly, The American Legion Magazine, BBC News Magazine, Utne Reader, and elsewhere.
Defense

What Google’s return to defense AI means

More competition in a hot market—and the plain fact that only the Pentagon will set boundaries.

Defense

Trump’s ‘Iron Dome for America’ plan would put weapons in space, at a big cost

It’s a Cold War concept for a mission whose threats and tools have long since changed.

Artificial Intelligence

How DeepSeek changed the future of AI—and what that means for national security

China’s breakthrough is an opportunity for American companies to build more efficient tools. That will also help the U.S. military.

Artificial Intelligence

Industry launches $100B AI-infrastructure effort to keep ahead of China

Oracle, OpenAI focus on data centers as AI race begins to turn on computing power instead of math.

Defense

Defense officials hopeful incoming administration keeps funding cutting-edge tech

Amid competing priorities, they pitched dual-use research as key to competing with China.

People

‘Extraordinarily dangerous’: Intelligence community insiders warn against Trump’s DNI pick

Former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has a “history of irresponsibly promoting misinformation,” said one official.

Defense

Senators want answers from DOD on quantum sensing efforts

Bipartisan letter wonders whether China’s programs “outstrip the efforts of the United States.”

Artificial Intelligence

Can AI predict if a Marine will quit? Corps wants to know

“Retention prediction network” could reveal signs that trainers and recruiters might otherwise miss.

Modernization

Could an easy radio fix have prevented the Trump assassination attempt?

“Being able to talk to other agencies real-time certainly would assist in that response,” one official said.

Defense

Special operators hope AI can reduce civilian deaths in combat

Automation could eventually turn “trigger-pullers into the experts that can do this,” one official said.

Defense

Two programs suggest the Pentagon is getting better at buying technology

The Maven and Collaborative Combat Aircraft efforts display real steps forward, a pair of reports say.

Emerging Tech

Pentagon planning huge experiment for its connect-everything concept

“We see significant progress,” in opening up DOD data, one observer said. But a bigger, multinational test is coming.

Defense

DARPA wants to use AI to find new rare minerals

With spectral analysis, it’s possible to “tell the difference [between] cocaine that came from one cartel’s area of Colombia versus another.”

Defense

How AI is turning satellite imagery into a window on the future

What can a picture from space tell you? “You're likely to have a drought here that might lead to civil unrest.”

Defense

Giant military manta ray drone passes first ocean test

Manta Ray prototype demonstrates propulsion, steering in step toward “real-world operations.”

Defense

How digital engineering could produce new weapons faster

“This enables process automation more broadly,” GDIT engineer says of new accelerator.

Emerging Tech

New bill would greatly expand Defense Department quantum efforts

Proposed legislation would establish a quantum advisor and a new center of excellence.