Pentagon AI rules are moving into procurement contracts

AI governance is becoming a procurement issue because the Pentagon is increasingly relying on bilateral agreements rather than statutes to set rules for military AI use^[1]. This framework, often called regulation by contract, shifts interpretive authority to the government, leaving enforcement dependent on negotiated terms that may lack democratic accountability or institutional durability^[1].

Conflicts arise when vendors attempt to impose safety guardrails that limit military applications, leading the Pentagon to designate non-compliant companies as supply chain risks^[1][4].