WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, issued the following statement regarding reports of demands by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth directed at a leading AI company:

“I’m deeply disturbed by reports that the Department of Defense is working to bully a leading U.S. company, which has already provided enormous utility to the intelligence community and warfighter. Most Americans oppose unsupervised autonomous weapon systems and AI-facilitated surveillance.

“Unfortunately, this is further indication that the Department of Defense seeks to completely ignore AI governance – something the Administration’s own Office of Management and Budget and Office of Science and Technology Policy have described as fundamental enablers of effective AI usage – and further underscores the need for Congress to enact strong, binding AI governance mechanisms for national security contexts.”

###