Author Archive
Patrick Tucker
Science & Technology Editor, Defense One
Patrick Tucker is science and technology editor for Defense One. He’s also the author of The Naked Future: What Happens in a World That Anticipates Your Every Move? (Current, 2014). Previously, Tucker was deputy editor for The Futurist for nine years. Tucker has written about emerging technology in Slate, The Sun, MIT Technology Review, Wilson Quarterly, The American Legion Magazine, BBC News Magazine, Utne Reader, and elsewhere.
Patrick Tucker is science and technology editor for Defense One. He’s also the author of The Naked Future: What Happens in a World That Anticipates Your Every Move? (Current, 2014). Previously, Tucker was deputy editor for The Futurist for nine years. Tucker has written about emerging technology in Slate, The Sun, MIT Technology Review, Wilson Quarterly, The American Legion Magazine, BBC News Magazine, Utne Reader, and elsewhere.
Defense
Air Force braces for new nuclear-war scenarios
With more nuclear players and weapons around the world, U.S. forces need to be ready, a top service leader says.
- Patrick Tucker
Tech
Could an easy radio fix have prevented the Trump assassination attempt?
“Being able to talk to other agencies real-time certainly would assist in that response,” one official said.
- Patrick Tucker
Management
Pentagon budget request aims to balance congressional limits, foreign needs, and innovation
“This should be the wake-up call that tells us we need to be buying different stuff,” one expert said.
- Patrick Tucker
Defense
The Pentagon may never get to the bottom of that famous UFO video
The DOD’s office is creating a way for former government employees to reach out with information about UFOs.
- Patrick Tucker
Tech
Agencies get marching orders as White House issues AI-safety directive
The National Institute of Standards and Technology is ordered to draft red-teaming requirements, the National Science Foundation to work on cryptography, and the Homeland Security Department to apply them to critical infrastructure.
- Patrick Tucker
Defense
Lawmakers, Army headed for a fight over cuts to special operations forces
“It doesn’t pass the smell test,” said one Senate staffer.
- Patrick Tucker
Defense
A senator's holds on military nominations are hurting readiness against China, Defense official says
From Defense policy bill amendments and "poison pill" spending bills to promotion holds, Republicans' efforts are frustrating Pentagon officials.
- Patrick Tucker
Defense
Air Force Lab Seeks Higher-Risk, Higher-Reward Breakthroughs
At the Defense One Tech Summit, AFRL's tech chief says the lab wants to answer science questions that have never been asked.
- Patrick Tucker
Defense
US Military Now Has Voice-Controlled Bug Drones
And next year, they might talk back.
- Patrick Tucker
Defense
The Pentagon’s AI Chief Is ‘Scared to Death’ of ChatGPT
But other defense leaders are more eager to deploy new artificial-intelligence tools.
- Patrick Tucker
Defense
Why the Pentagon’s Response to the Discord Leaks Won’t Fix the Problem
The Defense Department keeps too many secrets, uses old approaches to secret storage, and does not apply data-driven strategies to classification.
- Patrick Tucker
Tech
A ‘ChatGPT’ For Satellite Photos Already Exists
Using advanced generative AI and a massive dataset of Earth images, it’s possible to discover objects almost anywhere in just hours.
- Patrick Tucker
Defense
Treasury Sanctions Arms Dealer Who Attempted to Broker Deals Between North Korea and Russia
A new class of “merchants of death” may be emerging from the Russian war on Ukraine
- Patrick Tucker
Defense
Foreign Governments Are Still Targeting Americans on Social Media, NSA Says
U.S. government efforts to stem these infowar efforts are meeting resistance.
- Patrick Tucker
Defense
White House Launches Effort to Examine Policy Choices for Shooting Down UFOs
NORTHCOM has changed radar settings to get “better fidelity on seeing slower objects,” general says.
- Patrick Tucker
Breaking News
Defense
US Shoots Down ‘Objects’ Off Alaska Coast, Over Canada, Lake Huron
White House was worried object on Friday posed “potential hazard to civilian air traffic.”
- Patrick Tucker
Defense
China’s Balloon May Have Taught Pentagon More Than Beijing Learned From It, General Says
Still, NORAD’s chief says the U.S. military took “precautions,” including “non-kinetic effects.”
- Patrick Tucker
Defense
New Institute Will Study How the Defense Department Manages Itself
To “compete on a global stage,” DOD must get a handle on its management practices, Deputy Defense Secretary says.
- Patrick Tucker
Defense
When May a Robot Kill? New Pentagon Policy Tries to Clarify
An updated policy tweaks wording in a bid to dispel confusion.
- Patrick Tucker
Defense
UFO Sightings By US Troops Surge
Intelligence officials cite recent efforts to reduce the stigma of reporting odd aerial phenomena. Many cases remain unexplained.
- Patrick Tucker