Senator Adam Schiff, a Democrat, introduced legislation Thursday that would place new limits on how the Pentagon uses artificial intelligence, requiring human oversight and safeguards for civil liberties. The bill, called the HALO Act, marks the latest attempt by Congress to impose guardrails on rapidly advancing military AI systems.
What the HALO Act mandates
The HALO Act — short for Human Oversight and Liberty in Operations — would require the Defense Department to keep a human in the loop for any AI-driven decisions that could lead to the use of force or affect civilians. It also demands that the Pentagon certify its AI systems don't violate civil liberties or constitutional rights before deployment. Schiff's office said the bill aims to prevent a scenario where machines make life-or-death choices without meaningful human control.
The legislation doesn't ban AI outright, but it sets a high bar for the technology's battlefield use. Contractors that supply AI tools to the military would have to prove their systems meet these standards. The Pentagon would also have to report annually to Congress on any incidents where AI led to unintended harm.
Reshaping military AI ethics
If passed, the HALO Act would bring the U.S. military closer to the ethical frameworks that some allies have already adopted. The European Union and several NATO members have called for binding rules on autonomous weapons. Schiff's bill doesn't go as far as a ban, but it would make the Pentagon one of the few major defense departments with explicit statutory requirements for human oversight in AI operations.
Critics of unconstrained military AI have argued that current Pentagon policies rely too heavily on internal guidelines that can be changed without public scrutiny. The HALO Act would lock those principles into law, making them harder to waive.
The bill could also influence global defense policies, as U.S. stances on AI often shape the positions of allied nations. If Washington codifies human oversight, other countries may face pressure to follow suit. China and Russia have not signed similar pledges, raising questions about a potential arms race in autonomous systems.
What happens next
Schiff's proposal now moves to the Senate Armed Services Committee, where it will likely face pushback from some Republicans who argue the Pentagon needs flexibility to stay ahead of adversaries. No hearing has been scheduled yet, but the bill could be attached to the annual defense authorization act later this year.
For now, the Pentagon continues to develop AI tools for surveillance, logistics, and targeting under existing guidelines. Whether the HALO Act becomes law — or something like it — may determine how aggressively those tools are used in future conflicts.
