Agentic AI adoption is a top priority for defense and intelligence leaders. Here’s why

We are at an inflection point in the global AI race — the defining technological battleground of this century. The rapid development and deployment of agentic AI is not just an imperative but a necessity for the U.S. to maintain its strategic edge in the great power competition.

Global powers are increasingly focused on AI advancement as a key area of competition, and the U.S. will face increasing challenges from rivals who are rapidly advancing their capabilities. To stay ahead, the U.S. must prioritize the adoption of agentic AI — self-learning AI systems that autonomously handle a wide range of inquiries and tasks without human intervention.

AI agents are not just tools, they are force multipliers that can accelerate operational advantages, enable faster and more accurate decision-making, and streamline logistics. They do this by strengthening and reinforcing defense and intelligence leaders’ greatest assets — their people. As Department of Defense (DoD) and Intelligence Community (IC) leaders navigate the complexities of modern defense and intelligence operations, the integration of AI agents will become increasingly critical.

Bringing AI Agents to the Defense and Intelligence Community

It is a strategic priority to get agentic AI solutions running on classified networks. The bar for accreditation is exceptionally high, but the right cloud service providers and partners, who prioritize security, safety and trust and operate at the highest levels of classification are ready to meet it.

Defense and IC leaders must get ready to rapidly deploy trusted AI capabilities to support their missions or they risk losing decision advantages and being stuck with dated technology. To do this successfully, a collaborative approach is essential. Technology providers, policymakers, and defense and intelligence leaders must work together to ensure the safe, secure, and trusted use of AI as well as to do things like provide ongoing training and education for personnel to ensure they are equipped to work effectively alongside AI agents and future AI advancements.

High-Value Use Cases

The potential applications of agentic AI in defense and intelligence are numerous and varied. AI agents can work alongside human teams to enhance the capabilities of personnel by handling routine and repetitive tasks, thereby freeing staff to focus on high-stakes, mission-critical work that demands human insight and judgment — improving efficiency and enhancing the overall effectiveness of defense and intelligence operations.

Here are three high-value use cases that can drive the significant operational and mission impact:

1. Open Source Intelligence Analysis: AI agents can quickly sift through massive datasets from multiple sources to identify potential threats or patterns of interest and provide comprehensive and timely intelligence reports. Human analysts can then focus on interpreting these findings and making strategic decisions.
2. Logistics and Supply Chain Management: AI agents can optimize the movement of personnel and equipment, predict maintenance needs, and manage inventory levels to ensure resources are available when and where they are needed, reducing downtime and improving operational readiness.
3. Operational Support: AI agents can dynamically adjust workforce schedules based on real-time demands, proactively allocate critical resources and personnel, and analyze data to identify bottlenecks to speed up response times, reducing administrative burden and supporting operational readiness in high-stakes environments.

The Mission Ahead

AI development is our era's defining competition and requires rapid action. To maintain a competitive advantage, defense and intelligence leaders must enable the swift integration of agentic AI in order to maximize the potential for AI agents to enhance operations and mission effectiveness. Maintaining our strategic edge on the global stage will require mission ready agentic AI. We must act now to ensure we are able and ready to deploy AI agents across all domains. 

Bill Pessin is the SVP of Salesforce National Security. Bill also serves on the Board for the Intelligence and National Security Alliance (INSA).