On today’s episode we have Brigadier General R. Patrick Huston, the Assistant Judge Advocate General for Military Law and Operations. BG Huston oversees international legal engagements, criminal prosecutions and government appeals for the Army. He also supervises the legal teams that provide advice on national security law, contract actions, administrative law and criminal law. He is focused on the legal and ethical development and use of artificial intelligence, autonomous weapons, cybersecurity and other emerging technologies. He also supports diversity and inclusion initiatives as part of talent management for the JAG Corps, one of the world's largest legal organizations.

Lieutenant Colonel Cinnamon Chielens and Major JJ Wellemeyer interviewed BG Huston via zoom to discuss three topics: Artificial Intelligence (AI), Deep Fake Technology, and lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The episode is divided into three parts.

Part one covers Artificial Intelligence; its uses, common misconceptions, the importance of public/private partnerships, legal and ethical challenges, and advising commanders on the uses of AI.
Part two discusses Deep Fake technology, providing an overview, the risks involved, and protecting against deep fakes.

Part three discusses the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, and how the JAG Corps and Army moves forward with those lessons.


Below is a timeline of some of the subject-areas discussed during Part 1 (AI):

00:00 Introduction

00:56 AI Overview

01:51 Misconceptions about AI and its uses

05:21 Public/Private partnerships in the development of AI

06:28 Legal and ethical considerations of AI

08:07 AI and great power competition
Below is a timeline of some of the subject-areas discussed during Part 2 (Deep Fake Technology):

00:00 Introduction

00:10 Deep fake overview

00:41 Combatting “Truth Decay”

03:15 Deep fake threats and potential solutions

04:50 Critical thinking/analysis in combatting deep fake threats


Below is a timeline of some of the subject-areas discussed during Part 3 (COVID-19):

00:00 Introduction

00:09 Lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic

01:04 Courts and remote technology

02:27 Effects on the workplace

05:21 COVID-19 and autonomous systems

05:28 Closing Remarks

06:25 Book recommendations

08:03 End notes


If you’re interested in learning more about some of the topics covered during this episode, we recommend the following additional reading and resources:
Eric Schmidt: I Used to Run Google. Silicon Valley Could Lose to China.
BG Huston’s Book Recommendations:

“1776” by David McCullough
“Duffel Blog” edited by Randy Brown and Steve Leonard

For more information related to FCD you can follow us on Twitter @jagfcd or by visiting our webpage. If you have recommendations or suggestions about future topics or guests, please send us an email at usarmy.pentagon.hqda-tjaglcs.list.tjaglcs-doctrine@mail.mil, or you can leave us a comment by signing in below. Finally, if you like what you hear, please leave us a review on iTunes and subscribe to “Battlefield Next” on your favorite podcast app. While this is a podcast created by US Army Judge Advocates from Future Concepts Directorate, our goal is to reach other judge advocates and lawyers across the DoD, law students, and members of academia. Your reviews help make this possible.

For more information about the US Army JAG Corps, you can go here. If you’re interested in joining the Army JAG Corps, you can get more information by contacting the Judge Advocate Recruiting Office (JARO) or by visiting their webpage.

*Music by Joseph McDade

**The views expressed on the podcast are the views of the participants and do not necessarily represent those of The Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School, the Army, the Department of Defense, or any other agency of the US Government.