New Figure Leads Advanced US Weapons Project, His Reputation is Concerning

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - The Pentagon has appointed a new figure to lead the development of artificial intelligence (AI) technology for the United States military. The selected individual is computer scientist Gavin Kliger, a figure who previously generated controversy online.

Kliger was officially appointed as Chief Data Officer of the Pentagon on Friday, 6 March. This position places him at the heart of the Department of Defence’s most ambitious AI project, one with the potential to determine the future of modern weapons systems.

In its announcement, the Pentagon stated that Kliger would coordinate the implementation of the ministry’s daily AI projects and work directly with various leading AI laboratories in the United States to support military requirements.

However, the appointment immediately attracted scrutiny. A previous Reuters report revealed that Kliger had previously shared content from white supremacist figure Nick Fuentes as well as controversial figure Andrew Tate, known for his misogynistic views. Kliger was also said to have made a number of comments that sparked debate on social media.

Nevertheless, Kliger denied the allegations. In a statement to Reuters, he said that the notion that he supported extremism or white supremacy was entirely incorrect.

“The suggestion that I support ‘bigots’, ‘extremists’, or white supremacy is completely false,” he said, quoted from Reuters, Monday, 9 March 2026.

Kliger’s appointment occurs amid heated competition over military AI technology in the United States. In recent weeks, the Pentagon has also been involved in a dispute with AI company Anthropic regarding limitations on the use of AI technology in military operations.

The conflict resulted in a decision by the Donald Trump administration to cease cooperation with Anthropic and replace it with OpenAI. Anthropic had previously refused to allow its Claude AI technology to be used for autonomous weapons or mass surveillance systems. Meanwhile, the Pentagon believes that such technology should be usable provided it complies with US law.