Illiteracy, Not Morality, Is Holding Back Military Integration of Artificial Intelligence A data-illiterate culture in the military is widening the gap between the United States and its competitors. Success will require deeper and more direct congressional action. In his recent essay in The National Interest, John Austerman says he believes that a complex of moral issues related to increased automation in weapons systems is the sticking point for progress on military integration of artificial intelligence (AI), and that this hesitancy increases the risk to American national security. Without a doubt, continued sluggishness places the United States dangerously behind the curve in the great power competition arena. Austerman’s emphasis on the timeless consideration of morality in military operations is also an important point that all should embrace. But in my experience, the U.S. military’s lag in applying this critical technological development is not due to a moral blind spot but rather a crippling type of illiteracy—data illiteracy. With notable exceptions, this illiteracy exists across the Department of Defense and among powerful constituencies within the military services. It starts with a paucity of understanding the value of data and the data science that drives the artificial intelligence and machine learning (ML) revolution. Industrial age combat development organizations add further inertia. These elements must change in order to prevent critical damage to our core national security interests. The data-native innovators within the Department have promoted and initiated change to the maximum extent possible within their authorities, but Congress is the only institution that can ensure required actions and investments to compete and prevail are made. The 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) contains seven helpful actions addressing ethical concerns about AI and beyond. But further and more direct congressional involvement is required before AI is accepted and applied across the U.S. military at the level required to close the capability gap.