This article by Eve Sampson originally appeared on Military Times, the nation's largest independent newsroom dedicated to covering the military and veteran community.

The Army on Dec. 30 announced that it is standing up a dedicated artificial intelligence and machine-learning career field for officers.

The new specialty, designated 49B, will be open to eligible officers through the Voluntary Transfer Incentive Program, beginning in January 2026, with the goal of developing a group of leaders that “advances the Army’s ongoing transformation into a data-centric and AI-enabled force,” the statement said.

The Army said officers with applicable backgrounds would use their expertise to accelerate decision-making, sharpen targeting, improve logistics efficiency and support the fielding of robotics systems on the battlefield.

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“This is a deliberate and crucial step in keeping pace with present and future operational requirements,” Lt. Col. Orlando Howard, an Army spokesperson, said in a statement. “We’re building a dedicated cadre of in-house experts who will be at the forefront of integrating AI and machine learning across our warfighting functions.”

The statement said the program was open to all officers eligible to voluntarily transfer branches, but those with related background experience or education “will be particularly competitive candidates.”

The officers chosen for the new pathway will get graduate-level training and hands-on experience with AI-enabled systems, the statement said, adding that officers will be reclassified by the end of fiscal year 2026.

The Army is considering broadening the program in the future to include warrant officers.

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The new officer roles were announced shortly after the Pentagon launched GenAI.mil, an artificial intelligence platform for the Department of Defense, and then announced an upcoming expansion of available tools.

In 2025, the Army also introduced a Robotics Technician specialty for warrant officers, meant to provide brigade and special forces formations with information on robotics, AI and machine-learning.

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