DOW Leak: Inside The AI Platform & Internal Memo

The Department of War has quietly launched a custom AI tool. I obtained an internal memo from Pete Hegseth, along with screenshots showing the Gemini interface.

Generative AI is now in use across the United States Department of War (DOW), according to documents and screenshots leaked to me from the Department this morning. “With this launch we are taking a giant step toward mass AI adoption across the Department,” wrote Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, in a memorandum to all DOW personnel.

As of December 9, 2025, DOW employees can use the custom Google-made AI tool named “Gemini.” It is now available “on the desktops of all military personnel, civilians, and contractors,” according to Hegseth’s memo. The tool also provides extensions to Grok, ChatGPT, and Claude, shown below in photos of the Gemini interface I obtained this morning from a source within the Department.

In the memo sent to employees this morning, Hegseth explained the decision to adopt Generative AI across the agency.

“Victory belongs to those who embrace real innovation. Rather than being reliant on the dusty, antiquated systems of a bygone era, we are thinking ahead here in the Department of War. GenAI.mil is part of this monumental transformation. It removes wasted time and focuses more of our energy into decisive results for the warfighter.”

Read the full memorandum below.

Gemini is referred to as “The Department of War’s premier AI model platform” throughout the new website. The tool’s “Purpose” is described as follows: “By integrating AI with our operational capabilities, we will compress the OODA loop (Observe, Orient, Decide, Act) at all echelons, ensuring the Department of War can out-think, out-decide, and out-pace any adversary.”

The tool includes a chatbot, and AI-powered assistant.

Guidelines for DOW’s AI use included a Do and Don’t list, an “example of don’t was, don’t use GenAI for decisions involving attribution, targeting, or threat evaluation without human validation. I read that as someone can read what the AI said and be like ‘yep it’s good to go shoot that missile.’” said one source within DOW. “They are legit going full force into AI,” they remarked.

The website also explains that DOW is now “creating human-machine teams” and rather than describing Gemini as an AI tool to be used by the Department, it is referred to as a “Joint Force.”