UK declines assessment of US military Grok use

The Ministry of Defence has declined to assess the potential operational impact of the United States introducing new generative artificial intelligence tools into its military networks, stating that decisions on American systems remain a matter for Washington.

In a written parliamentary answer, Defence Minister Luke Pollard responded to a question on whether the UK had assessed the implications of adding the Grok chatbot alongside Google’s generative AI tools across US military networks and the potential effects on joint US-UK operations. Pollard said the United Kingdom and United States would continue to cooperate closely on defence and security matters, but stopped short of commenting on the technology itself.

“The US and UK remain steadfast allies and will continue to closely cooperate on a range of defence and security issues,” he said. “But how the US Department of War manages the use of technology in their systems is a matter for them.”

Instead, the minister used the response to reiterate the principles governing artificial intelligence within UK defence, pointing to existing policy and assurance frameworks.

He said the UK’s Defence AI Strategy recognises that artificial intelligence must be adopted to avoid falling behind potential adversaries, but stressed that its use is subject to strict controls.

“The Defence AI Strategy recognises AI systems must be adopted to avoid falling behind adversaries, whilst mandating robust cybersecurity and safety measures for these systems,” Pollard said.

He added that Joint Service Publication 936 sets mandatory requirements for AI systems deployed in UK defence environments, including safety, robustness and security testing. According to the minister, any AI used within UK military networks must pass relevant assurance checks and comply with the Government Cyber Security Standard and Secure by Design principles.