Gods of AI Warfare: Maven's Rise

TL;DR

Maven Excerpt: Wired publishes book excerpt on Pentagon's Project Maven turning AI skeptics into believers amid targeting debates.[[1]](https://www.wired.com/story/project-maven-katrina-manson-book-excerpt/)
Cukor-Whitworth Shift: Marine Colonel Drew Cukor founded Maven; skeptic Vice Admiral Trey Whitworth endorsed it by 2024 after initial doubts on speed and cost.[[1]](https://www.wired.com/story/project-maven-katrina-manson-book-excerpt/)
Maven Expansion: Palantir's Maven Smart System now used against Iran, with $1.3 billion Pentagon contract to 2029 and NATO interest.[[1]](https://www.wired.com/story/project-maven-katrina-manson-book-excerpt/)

The story at a glance

This Wired excerpt from Katrina Manson's book Project Maven: A Marine Colonel, His Team, and the Dawn of AI Warfare traces how Pentagon leaders shifted from doubting the AI program to embracing it for military targeting. Key figures include Marine Colonel Drew Cukor, Maven's founder, and Vice Admiral Frank “Trey” Whitworth, who leads the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA). The piece highlights internal tensions and Maven's growth via Palantir software, timed to the book's release amid rising AI warfare discussions.[[1]](https://www.wired.com/story/project-maven-katrina-manson-book-excerpt/)[[2]](https://www.wired.com/story/project-maven-katrina-manson-book-excerpt)

Project Maven began in 2017 as a Pentagon push for computer vision in drone video analysis, sparking Google employee protests in 2018 over lethal risks.

Key points

Project Maven uses AI, including computer vision, to analyze drone footage and support targeting in US operations, including against Iran.
In 2018, over 3,000 Google workers protested the company's role, fearing AI for lethal targeting; Google exited, but Maven advanced.
Drew Cukor led Maven for five years until around 2022, pushing against bureaucracy despite controversy; Palantir received much of the initial $1 billion congressional funding.
Vice Admiral Trey Whitworth, once skeptical of Maven's speed, cost, and targeting rules, praised it publicly by September 2024 as adaptable and key for NGA.
Maven Smart System by Palantir integrates battlefield data on maps with AI detections; demo showed targeting tanks in Ukraine-like scenario in seconds.
Contracts grew: $480 million Army deal in spring 2024, $100 million for all services in September 2024, ceiling raised to $1.3 billion until 2029; NATO eyes adoption, UK reportedly nears £750 million Palantir deal.
By 2025, AI compresses targeting cycle except the shoot decision; NGA produces machine-made intelligence reports with no human involvement.[[1]](https://www.wired.com/story/project-maven-katrina-manson-book-excerpt/)

Details and context

The excerpt centers on a 2024 encounter between Cukor and Whitworth, once Cukor's skeptic who questioned AI skipping targeting steps and accountability, especially after potential errors in congressional hearings. Whitworth, former SEAL Team 6 intelligence director, took NGA helm in June 2022 and could have ended Maven but instead made it the agency's "marquee targeting program."

Manson describes Cukor as a "one-man wrecking ball" challenging orthodoxy; Palantir CEO Alex Karp called him "crazy Cukor" and "founding father of AI targeting." Maven evolved from secrecy post-Google protests to public demos at Palantir events, blending war with business processes.

The system pairs targets with effectors like F-22 jets via clicks; internal docs note automatic target recognition (Maven ATR). Manson visited NGA in summer 2025 to probe Whitworth's change and Maven's spread.

Key quotes

“Drew, this is important work,” Vice Admiral Trey Whitworth assured Colonel Drew Cukor at a 2024 retreat.[[1]](https://www.wired.com/story/project-maven-katrina-manson-book-excerpt/)

“Tell me about what happens after the bad drop when we go through a congressional hearing and we’re getting hard questions?” Whitworth demanded of Cukor earlier.[[1]](https://www.wired.com/story/project-maven-katrina-manson-book-excerpt/)

Why it matters

AI integration into military targeting raises core questions on who decides life-and-death matters and ensures accountability in fast-paced warfare. For defense tech firms like Palantir, it means massive contracts and expansion to allies like NATO; for troops and policymakers, it speeds analysis but risks errors from black-box systems. Watch Pentagon AI deployments in ongoing conflicts like Iran and autonomous tech trials, though reliability in combat remains unproven.

What changed

Before, targeting's shortest step was deciding to shoot; now AI automates prior phases, making the shoot decision the longest. This shift happened by mid-2025 under NGA leadership.[[1]](https://www.wired.com/story/project-maven-katrina-manson-book-excerpt/)

FAQ

Q: Who founded Project Maven and led its early push?

A: Marine Colonel Drew Cukor led it for five years until around 2022, described as challenging military bureaucracy to integrate AI into targeting despite internal opposition. He worked with Silicon Valley firms after Google exited.

Q: Why did Vice Admiral Trey Whitworth initially doubt Maven?

A: Whitworth worried about AI skipping targeting steps, poor record-keeping for accountability, high costs including $1 billion much to Palantir, and risks in congressional scrutiny after errors.

Q: How does Maven Smart System work in demos?

A: It displays AI detections on maps, alerts "possible enemy activity," identifies targets like tanks, pairs with effectors such as F-22 jets via clicks, and confirms "target destroyed."

Q: What contracts has Maven secured recently?

A: Palantir won a $480 million Army ceiling in spring 2024, $100 million for all services in September 2024; Pentagon raised total to $1.3 billion until 2029, with NATO and UK interest.

[[1]](https://www.wired.com/story/project-maven-katrina-manson-book-excerpt/)