GoKawiilPentagon budget seeks $30M for AI-driven 'Polygraph+' lie detection system
A Pentagon budget document requests $30 million to develop 'Polygraph+,' an AI-enhanced deception-detection program to be run by the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency. The system would be used for vetting job applicants and detecting insider threats, though the specific technologies involved have not been disclosed. The request follows a period of increased polygraph use under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, including tests given to roughly 50 Joint Staff officers after leaks about weapons stockpiles.
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The funding request suggests the Pentagon is looking to modernize decades-old polygraph methods with sensor and AI technology, potentially building on earlier prototypes from companies like Presage Technologies and Altec Research that track biometric signals such as skin temperature and pore activity. Because the request has not yet been approved by Congress and key technical details remain undisclosed, it's unclear how reliable or invasive such tools might be. The push comes amid heightened internal scrutiny over leaks, which could indicate a broader institutional effort to tighten control over information within the department.
- Pentagon budget document requests $30 million for an AI-powered lie detection program called Polygraph+.
- The program would be managed by the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency for employee vetting and insider threat detection.
- The request follows increased Pentagon polygraph use under Secretary Hegseth amid concerns about leaks to the press.
Source: technologyreview.com — Amit Katwala, 2026-09-25
Published there as: “The Pentagon wants $30 million to build an AI-powered lie detector”
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