Palmer Luckey in the News - August 25, 2025

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Palmer Luckey, founder of defense-technology firm Anduril Industries and former Oculus VR visionary, continued to draw attention following his recent televised interview on CBS’s 60 Minutes and mounting debate over his role in the future of autonomous weapons.

In yesterday’s broadcast, Luckey laid out Anduril’s vision for “lethal autonomy” on the modern battlefield, emphasizing how his company’s AI-powered drone and sensor networks could give U.S. forces an edge against near-peer adversaries. He described Anduril’s Sentry Tower deployments along the southern border as a proving ground for more complex, networked systems destined for active theaters overseas.

The segment sparked a flurry of reaction across social media and Capitol Hill.

  • In Congress, Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA) urged new hearings on ethical safeguards governing autonomous weapons.
  • Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) praised Luckey’s “bold, Silicon Valley approach” to defense innovation and called for expedited procurement of Anduril systems.
  • Veteran-advocacy groups raised concerns about civilian oversight and the risk of “algorithmic kill decisions.”

Meanwhile, Anduril confirmed that its latest “Lattice” command-and-control software has entered operational testing with U.S. Special Operations Command, a move that could lay the groundwork for full fielding by late 2026. Company representatives say positive preliminary results have led to an expanded $120 million contract option, pending final Pentagon approval.

Luckey himself wrapped up his 60 Minutes appearance by asserting that “autonomy won’t replace soldiers-it will keep them safer.” He vowed to continue engaging both policymakers and the public to build “trust in machines making life-and-death decisions.”

As debate intensifies over the pace of AI in warfare, Palmer Luckey remains at the center of a broader conversation about technology, ethics, and national security-and today’s headlines underscore the stakes of that debate for both industry and government.