(Bloomberg) -- Palantir Technologies Inc. has secured a $100 million contract that will expand the access of US military personnel to artificial intelligence targeting tools, enabling them to utilize the company's digital warfare platform. **Most Read from Bloomberg** - AOC Proposes $30 Billion Social Housing Authority - California’s Anti-Speeding Bill Can Be a Traffic Safety Breakthrough - The Moonshot Plan to Eliminate Deaths on America’s Roads - New York City’s Transit System Plans $65. 4 Billion of Upgrades for Grand Central, Subways - To Build a Happier City, Design for Density The platform, named the Maven Smart System, creates a unified battlefield view across thousands of digital screens simultaneously. It leverages US intelligence data and employs computer-vision algorithms, along with AI software from various partners, to interpret situations and identify adversaries. The system has been used this year by the US military to determine targets for airstrikes in the Middle East, according to Bloomberg. Shannon Clark, head of defense growth at Palantir, indicated that the contract would grant all five branches of the US military—Army, Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy, and Space Force—expanded access to the Maven Smart System, thereby reaching tens of thousands of additional service members. Previously, only select units in specific areas had access to this system, she noted. In May, Palantir won a separate $480 million contract to expand the Maven Smart System to combatant commands, which oversee military operations in designated regions. Initially launched as a project in 2017, Maven is now a program primarily managed by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, relying on various contractors and AI providers.

The Department of Defense has not disclosed much about Maven's operational use, but it has reportedly supported the US in providing targeting assistance to Ukraine, in addition to American operations in Yemen, Iraq, and Sudan. US defense officials have defended the use of computer vision and machine learning algorithms for targeting decisions, maintaining that the ultimate judgment lies with human operators. However, some experts caution that this reliance on technology might lead to excessive trust in systems by human operators. Concurrently, a UN advisory panel has urged nations to restrict military applications of AI to avoid human rights violations and potential arms races. The Defense Department announced the contract on Wednesday in a daily update, stating that the Palo Alto, California-based company has been awarded a five-year agreement to provide user licenses for the Maven Smart System AI tool, along with associated software support and hardware, with a maximum value of $99. 8 million. Intelligence analysts, operators, and other military personnel in remote locations will now gain access to the system, allowing simultaneous connectivity of battlefield information with Pentagon headquarters, according to Clark. A representative for the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency did not comment on the contract but noted that NGA is actively working to broaden Maven's availability across all military branches and commands. Both Maven and the Maven Smart System are crucial to the Pentagon’s ongoing initiative to integrate military sensors and weapons systems worldwide, a goal that remains unfulfilled. The NGA spokesperson also mentioned that their agency is collaborating closely with the Pentagon’s chief digital and AI office on this initiative. **Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek** - Trump’s Pet-Eating Rant Was an Effective Act of Misdirection - The Host of Hot Ones Spills the Secrets of His Success - How a Former IRS Agent Got Locked Up in a Nigerian Prison - The Man Who Made Nike Uncool - Who Loses in Trump’s Endless Trade War?Not Just China ©2024 Bloomberg L. P.