AUSTIN – U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) released the following statement after his Growing University AI for Defense (GUARD) Act, which will codify a portion of President Trump’s AI Action Plan and enable the Department of War (DoW) to establish and lead a National Security and Defense AI Institute to advance defense innovation, workforce development, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) readiness, was signed into law by President Trump as part of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026:

“Our Senior Military Colleges already excel at preparing the next generation in warfighting capabilities, and now is the time to build on that success by answering President Trump’s call to create a hub for AI research, development, and talent acquisition at one of these prestigious institutions,” said Sen. Cornyn. “This law will empower the Department of War to establish and lead a cutting-edge AI Institute so we can streamline integration of emerging technologies in our defense sector and maintain America’s decision-making advantage over foreign adversaries.”

U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) is a cosponsor of this legislation, and Congressman Ronny Jackson (TX-13) led companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Background:

Under the first Trump administration, Congress passed the National AI Initiative, which authorized $500 million to develop new AI institutes. Building on these efforts, President Trump released an AI Action Plan in 2025 that included a renewed focus on developing AI talent for the Department of War (DoW), specifically calling to “Grow our Senior Military Colleges into hubs of AI research, development, and talent building, teaching core AI skills and literacy to future generations. Foster AI-specific curriculum, including in AI use, development, and infrastructure management, in the Senior Military Colleges throughout majors.”

Sen. Cornyn’s legislation codifies this provision in President Trump’s AI Action Plan by enabling the DoW to establish and lead a National Security and Defense AI Institute at a Senior Military College (SMC) in the United States.

The new AI Institute will bridge academic and government industry divides to streamline integration of advanced technologies for defense systems and intelligence services responses. Specifically, the National Security AI Institute will host testbeds for defense-related AI data management, reliable AI, and AI readiness that give the United States an enduring decision-making advantage. Senior Military Colleges play a central role in developing a skilled workforce capable of implementing these emerging technologies to strengthen national security and defense capabilities.