Pentagon seeks $30.3 million for an AI-powered lie detector
According to a Department of Defense budget request, the US government wants to invest $30.3 million over the next five years in Polygraph+, also called Polygraph Next. Run by the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA), the program aims to modernize polygraph technology with AI and machine-learning algorithms, as well as “standoff sensing,” which measures physiological signals without devices attached to the body. Planned uses include vetting prospective employees and detecting insider threats; Congress has not yet approved the request.
MIT Technology Review reports that Inside Defense first published the budget details. Experts question the reliability of polygraphs, and Kyri Kotsoglou of Northumbria University calls the project a misguided attempt to reduce something complex to tangible measurements. Current technology measures blood pressure, pulse, breathing, and sweating, but its results are rarely admissible in court and have been criticized by US research bodies.
Why it matters · editorial interpretation
The request would place AI at the center of security and hiring decisions, but experts question whether physiological signals can support reliable assessments. Since Congress has not approved the funding and polygraphs have limited courtroom use, the proposal also raises questions about validation and institutional accountability.
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