1A Why The U.S. Army Made Four Tech Executives Lieutenant Colonels
Jul 3, 2025
Sean McFate, a Georgetown professor and former U.S. Army paratrooper, joins Stephen Levy, Wired editor, and Colonel Molly Salisbury to discuss a groundbreaking initiative. Tech leaders from companies like Meta and OpenAI have been appointed as lieutenant colonels in the U.S. Army Reserves. They aim to fuse Silicon Valley expertise with military operations, addressing modern warfare challenges through technology and psychological strategies. The group navigates the ethical implications and potential conflicts between military values and innovation.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Direct Commissioning Breaks Tradition
- Direct commissioning tech executives as lieutenant colonels breaks traditional military norms.
- This practice last occurred at scale during WWII or pre-Civil War periods, raising professional concerns.
Nature of Army Reserves Explained
- Reserve officers serve part-time and maintain civilian jobs, but remain full members of the military.
- New tech colonels will not be active duty but have rank and responsibilities if activated.
Tech Executives as Consultants
- The tech executives' role in the Army resembles consulting more than traditional military duties.
- Wearing the uniform increases trust and seriousness toward their advice, per Kevin Weil of OpenAI.