Pentagon Turns to Five-Minute Videos to Speed Up AI Purchases

The US Department of Defense is using a little-noticed procurement program, Tradewinds, to buy artificial intelligence products faster. Companies submit videos of no more than five minutes explaining how their product addresses one of the government's strategic focus areas.

How it works

The program is run by the department's Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office (CDAO). At least once a month, a panel of judges reviews submissions and decides whether to admit them to the Tradewinds Solutions Marketplace, where government officials can watch the videos. Accepted products are deemed "post-competitive." Buyers can treat competition requirements as met, which may cut months from award timelines. A department official says some awards have been made in under a week. OpenAI, Anthropic and Google are listed as participants and declined to comment.

New priorities

The marketplace has existed since late 2022, but the Trump administration has been more outspoken about buying and deploying military AI. Its 2027 budget request asked Congress for $1.5 trillion for the department, citing investments in AI as a priority. This year the military is seeking tools to "enhance force lethality" and AI agents that support joint targeting, including kill chain execution. Under the Biden administration, submissions focused on a culture of responsible AI and guardrails.

Opaque transactions

The status makes it easier to use "other transaction" (OT) agreements, which are exempt from certain federal acquisition rules. By law, the Pentagon can spend up to $500 million on a single OT without notifying Congress. Senator Joni Ernst cites reviews that found questionable costs, limited oversight and reduced transparency. She worked to pass a law requiring OTs to be reported publicly, with three years to comply. Public records show Google, Anthropic and OpenAI hold OTs with the CDAO.

Balance of power with Silicon Valley

Experts say the program aims to bring nontraditional firms into defense. Post-Cold War consolidation reduced competition, and Silicon Valley's own wealth reduced the military's influence. Sharon Weinberger says the Pentagon's AI spending is small compared with venture capital.