Published Summer 2025 | Outlet: Army AL&T Magazine
📖 Read the full article here.
As the battlespace increasingly shifts into the digital domain, the U.S. Army is expanding its integration of artificial intelligence (AI)—not simply as a technological asset, but as an operational imperative. In the Summer 2025 issue of Army AL&T Magazine, Dr. Keith Brawner, Program Manager at the USC Institute for Creative Technologies (ICT), outlines this evolving landscape in his article, “Preparing for the Cyber Battlespace: AI’s Role in Future Warfare.”
Drawing on research at ICT—a University Affiliated Research Center (UARC) sponsored by the U.S. Army—Dr. Brawner paints a compelling picture of what future readiness must look like in an era where data, algorithms, and intelligent automation are central to every mission.
“Future conflicts will be fought not just with weapons but with data, algorithms, and intelligent automation,” Dr. Brawner writes. “The Army must prepare for a battlespace where AI-driven cyberattacks, autonomous decision-making, and AI-enhanced deception tactics are the norm.”
His article highlights the Army’s need to train soldiers not only to use AI, but to understand it as a partner in both decision-making and cyber defense. At ICT, several initiatives are already addressing this gap with deployable, scalable tools.
Among them:
- PAL3 (Personal Assistant for Life-Long Learning), an AI-powered tutor that delivers continuous learning support to soldiers between formal courses. Following a successful pilot at USC, PAL3 is now available on Google Play and the App Store.
- ARC (AI-Assisted Revisions for Curricula), which helps military instructors keep pace with doctrinal changes by automatically identifying outdated training content. ARC has already expanded from two pilot sites to seven Army training centers.
- AWE (Army Writing Enhancement), an AI writing coach that helps soldiers develop stronger arguments and clearer communication. Tested at Fort Leavenworth and embraced by early users across TRADOC, AWE entered a 1,000-soldier trial this fall.
Dr. Brawner also acknowledges ICT’s enduring contributions to the Department of Defense. From One World Terrain and DisasterSim to JFETS, MCIT, and UrbanSim, the Institute’s research continues to transition into Programs of Record that impact operational readiness today.
With adversaries increasingly weaponizing AI in the cyber domain, Dr. Brawner makes the case for matching speed with speed. In ICT’s Social Simulation Lab, researchers have achieved 80% accuracy in detecting AI-assisted decision-making—an essential tool for identifying cyber threats designed to evade traditional detection.
“AI is not replacing soldiers—it is empowering them to fight smarter, faster, and more effectively,” Dr. Brawner concludes.
The article closes with a forward-looking call to action: scale PAL3’s adoption across Army education, expand cyber simulation efforts, and integrate AI-powered decision tools into the operational battlespace.
As this issue of Army AL&T Magazine confirms, the future of military readiness lies in strategic AI integration—and ICT, under Dr. Brawner’s guidance, is committed to shaping that future.
🔗 Read the full article in Army AL&T Magazine (Summer 2025):
https://asc.army.mil/armyalt/Summer2025/html/index.html?page=26&origin=reader