Introducing the Deities of AI Combat

Almost a year later, on a scorching day in the peak of summer 2025, I visited the NGA headquarters at the Fort Belvoir Army Base in northern Virginia. It was my second trip to the spy agency’s HQ, and I was keen to understand why Whitworth had altered his stance, the extent of Maven’s influence, and how Maven’s new stakeholders perceived the risks and rewards of integrating AI into military operations.

By that time, Whitworth had become such an enthusiastic supporter of AI that his agency was producing machine-generated intelligence reports for US decision-makers that were untouched by human hands. Additionally, the NGA had initiated a $708 million contract for data labeling in support of Maven’s computer vision models, marking the largest such endeavor in US history, which ultimately went to Enabled Intelligence—a startup aiming to hire individuals on the autism spectrum, who excel in pattern recognition and are comfortable with repetitive tasks—rather than self-made billionaire Alexandr Wang’s Scale AI.

My visit required the usual formalities of any meeting at a spy agency. There were thorough background checks and vetting; no phones, laptops, or smartwatches were permitted; plus one rather peculiar step: I had to record not only the make and model, but also the serial number of my tape recorder, which I decided I would never use for interviews again after this experience.

The building itself was a sanctuary for geospatial intelligence, or GEOINT, dedicated to insightful analysis tied to geographic locations. The façade consisted of reflective glass shielded by nearly 2,000 concrete triangles, each seemingly attempting to pinpoint a different location. Over 8,500 personnel worked at the headquarters, but my focus was on four specific NGA officials. Each was significantly involved in the development, standards, and expansion of Maven. I was informed that it was rare for them to convene in one room to brief a journalist on Maven, and I was eager to discover what was at stake for them.

“This is our reputation at stake,” Whitworth shared with me during our interview. Once he recognized how seamlessly the system integrated into combat situations, he quickly shifted his perspective: “I started truly believing in it.” Far from being reluctant about initiating a new era of AI warfare, those behind it were eager to have their names associated with it. Some had become quite “ornery” in their quest for recognition, one NGA official mentioned. I pondered whether NGA was seeking its fair share, particularly given that some advisors to the second Trump administration aimed to reclaim control of Maven and AI from NGA and redirect it back to the Pentagon. “There’s no single person who can claim credit for this; it’s too expansive.”

The NGA officials guided me through the advancements of Maven since the agency assumed control of most initiatives two years prior. Five out of eight Maven projects, including the analysis of drone feeds and satellite imagery, had come under NGA’s purview. Whitworth aimed to broaden the agency’s scope and capabilities alongside the proliferation of global sensors. AI depended on data, necessitating extensive surveillance to obtain it. While the NSA could listen to global communications, NGA had the ability to observe it. Whitworth made it clear that he wanted to achieve this with meticulous, ongoing scrutiny—monitoring the entire globe, constantly. Previously, NGA had demonstrated how AI could identify military construction in China—such as the addition of a new rail depot at a missile base. NGA was monitoring movements at 49,000 airfields worldwide. Whitworth even contemplated equipping the moon with GPS or a similar navigation system. In cases where GPS could be jammed or hacked, he sought alternative methods for mapping space: NGA was creating digital maps utilizing magnetics, gravity, remote sensing, celestial navigation, and elevation. “From seabed to space,” encapsulated the new motto he introduced in 2023. The US war engine desired omniscience, omnipresence, and omnipotence.