Monterey, Calif. — U.S. Marines gathered at the Naval Postgraduate School from Aug. 11–14 to launch the inaugural U.S. Marine Corps–Naval Postgraduate School Artificial Intelligence Fellowship, a new program aimed at accelerating the Corps’ adoption of AI across the force.
Part of the Marine Corps’ 2024 Artificial Intelligence Strategy, the fellowship is intended to build a cadre of Marines who are conversant in AI and equipped with technical skills, practical experience, and operational insight. “This fellowship leverages eager Marines knowledgeable about the Fleet’s modern and relevant issues, faculty experts, state-of-the-art facilities at Naval Postgraduate School, and the incomputable potential of artificial intelligence and machine learning,” said Dr. Christopher Paul, U.S. Marine Corps Chair for Information at NPS and lead organizer of the program.
The pilot cohort will spend five months in a hybrid model split between their home units and the NPS campus. Through mentorship, coursework, and prototype development, each Marine will tackle a real-world problem aligned with Fleet Marine Force needs. “Our goal is to optimize AI’s application across the force,” Paul said. “To do that, we need to grow the AI-proficient and literate population in the military, which this fellowship aims to do.”
Marine leaders have emphasized integrating emerging technologies to maintain an edge in future conflicts, and the fellowship is positioned as a concrete step toward preparing Marines for an increasingly digital battlespace.
While the pilot is limited to Marines, the program is expected to broaden to include participants from other branches in future iterations. Details on upcoming fellowship opportunities will be released through Marine Corps administrative messages.
