This was the surprise revelation of Major General William “Hank” Taylor during the annual Association of the United States Army conference his use of ChatGPT AI chatbot in making decisions.
“Chat and I are really close lately. I’m asking to build, trying to build models to help all of us… I want to make better decisions at the right time to give me the advantage,”
Taylor said during a roundtable session, as first reported by Business Insider.
Taylor’s admission represents one of the most public disclosures by a senior U.S. Army commander that he is using a commercial AI platform to assist him in leading and taking decisions.
A tweet from X.
As commander of the U.S. Eighth Army in South Korea, Taylor oversees thousands of troops stationed near the North Korean border, one of the most sensitive flashpoints in the world. He is also Chief of Staff for the United Nations Command in Korea, coordinating multinational forces where every operational choice carries global implications.
At AUSA, Taylor explained that AI tools such as ChatGPT are being used to assist with analytical modeling, report drafting, and predictive sustainment analysis.
“As a commander, I want to make better decisions,”
He told the audience, emphasizing that AI provides “a faster way to understand complex problems.” His statements were echoed by defense outlet DefenseScoop, which confirmed the general’s use of AI for leadership and planning support within the Eighth Army.
As Ars Technica noted, Taylor explained that AI doesn’t make combat or operational orders but helps develop better-informed decisions-a distinction, military ethicists say, makes all the difference.
Business Insider and DefenseScoop reported on it, and it took social platforms by storm, curiosity, and concern. Some commenters praised Taylor’s approach as a sign of forward-thinking leadership, while others said overdependence on algorithms was riskier in matters of national security.
The New York Post described it as
“a new frontier for military modernization and a fresh challenge for Pentagon policymakers.”
But Major General Taylor’s was in part a lighthearted remark, yet it speaks to an essential simple truth AI is at the table now. It is partly about modernization of defense institutions, about leaders like Taylor who are at the spearhead, confidently using technology while juggling the ethical and operational boundaries of that technology.
In a time when intelligence can be churned out as fast as it can be digested, perhaps the salience between human judgment and machine insight will delineate the next era of military leadership.
