Manhattan Project

Ukraine has announced a large-scale programme to build an 'army of robots', described by officials as a 'Manhattan Project for physical AI'. The initiative aims to develop autonomous ground and aerial systems at scale for battlefield use, drawing comparisons to the World War Two atomic research effort. The announcement has drawn international attention given Ukraine's ongoing war with Russia and the growing role of drones and robotics in modern combat.

A new commentary argues that policymakers are leaning too heavily on Manhattan Project-era nuclear analogies when thinking about artificial intelligence, and that this framing is distorting AI governance. The author contends that treating AI like nuclear weapons encourages centralized, secrecy-driven approaches that fit poorly with how AI technology actually develops and spreads, and calls for policy grounded in AI's realities rather than Cold War precedent.

The James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies is highlighting 'Lessons from Los Alamos,' drawing attention to the historical and policy legacy of the site where the first atomic bombs were developed. The discussion centers on what the Manhattan Project's history can teach today's nuclear nonproliferation and arms control efforts.

Ukraine's former defense minister has announced a large-scale initiative to develop autonomous lethal weapons, describing it as a 'Manhattan Project' for killer robots. The comparison to the WWII atomic bomb programme highlights the scale and urgency of the effort, and is drawing attention to the ethics and arms race implications of AI-driven weaponry.

Ukraine’s former defense minister Mykhailo Fedorov has launched an ambitious effort to develop autonomous battlefield robots, likened to a ‘Manhattan Project’. He told Defense News he wants humanoid-like robots deployed on the battlefield within six months and an assault carried out without infantry within a year, highlighting Ukraine’s push to lead in AI-driven warfare.

IEEE Spectrum takes readers inside the reactor that produced the plutonium used in the "Fat Man" bomb dropped on Nagasaki in 1945. The feature offers a rare look at the historic site where weapons-grade material was first manufactured at scale, recounting its role in the Manhattan Project and its place in nuclear history.

Ukraine's former defense minister has launched what he calls a 'Manhattan Project' to develop autonomous lethal drones and AI-powered weapons. The initiative aims to accelerate the development of killer robots for Ukraine's war effort, drawing a parallel to the World War II program that built the atomic bomb. The project highlights Kyiv's push to lead in battlefield AI technology.