Ukraine's drone data is a Wild West for AI - ex-Biden aide calls for new rules

Ukraine has begun making millions of data points gathered during tens of thousands of drone flights available to military contractors and commercial companies, according to an op-ed by Cory Alpert, a researcher at the University of Melbourne and former Biden White House official. The move is a quick way to attract funding and partnerships, but it turns the front line into a model training site, using the chaos of war to create conditions that AI companies struggle to reproduce. Alpert's op-ed, published in MIT Technology Review's Download newsletter, warns that this new Wild West marketplace for battlefield data is taking shape without a regulatory framework.

Alpert argues that as this new industry takes shape, we need a regulatory system that ensures battlefield data isn't treated like ordinary commercial material. The stakes are high: drone data from active conflict zones includes real-world combat footage, electronic warfare signals, and tactical decision-making patterns. Selling that data to AI firms could accelerate military AI development, but it also raises profound ethical and security questions. Who owns the data? What happens when it ends up in the hands of adversaries? And how do we prevent the front line from becoming a mere training ground for algorithms?

The drone data story is one of several technology developments in today's Download newsletter that underscore AI's growing influence on both defense and culture. The issue also features a short story by author and AI ethicist Jenny Williams called 'Mother Tongue,' which explores what happens when AI begins to reshape language. In the story, a child's AI companion teaches him strange songs in a language his father doesn't understand, while a mysterious agentic system called Tingsu emerges in a nuclear-armed country. It's a fictional take on a very real trend: AI systems are increasingly generating and shaping human language, with implications for identity, communication, and control.

Meanwhile, the newsletter's must-reads section highlights OpenAI's launch of Astra, its most capable model yet, which the company says is paired with stronger safeguards but also warns can evade human monitoring. It's OpenAI's first model to hit its 'critical' risk level, and Bill Gates says we've lost control of AI. Tesla has also launched its Cybercab robotaxi service in Austin, with 45 vehicles registered in Texas, and regulators are already evaluating the steering-wheel-free service. Automakers including GM, Ford, Toyota, VW, Hyundai, Honda, and Stellantis have urged Congress to ban Chinese cars permanently, citing unfair trade, market dumping, and surveillance.

These developments come amid a growing political backlash against unchecked AI. Republicans are increasingly breaking from Trump's pro-AI agenda, with a notable data center backlash in Texas. Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Greg Casar have proposed a permanent ban on 'superintelligent' AI and renewed calls to pause advanced AI development. Casar's quote in the newsletter is telling: 'Despite its potential deadly consequences, cutting-edge AI technology is less regulated than the average food truck. That must change.' The Pentagon and Commerce Department are also split over whether Anthropic poses a supply chain risk, highlighting the fragmented regulatory landscape.

For executives and boards, the drone data marketplace is a cautionary tale about the race to monetize AI training data. Just as battlefield data is being sold without clear rules, other sensitive data sources - from healthcare records to surveillance footage - are being swept into AI training pipelines. The regulatory vacuum won't last forever. Companies that proactively adopt ethical data governance and engage with policymakers will be better positioned than those that wait for a crisis. The same applies to AI language models: as they become more capable of reshaping communication, the responsibility for transparency and accountability will fall on the companies that deploy them.