Project Maven

“Could this book be any more timely? […] This looks to be fascinating and compelling stuff—but you may need a strong stomach” – Liz Else - New Scientist, ‘The best new popular science books of March 2026’“Meticulously researched and engagingly narrated, Project Maven traces the secret history of the Pentagon’s effort to apply AI to war, from Afghanistan to the Taiwan Straits. Essential reading.” – Chris Miller, author of Chip War“Anyone worried about AI systems making life-or-death decisions on the battlefield will be captivated and dismayed by Katrina Manson’s urgent and deeply reported book.” – Brad Stone, author of The Everything Store and Amazon Unbound“Katrina Manson sorts hype from reality in chilling and up-to-the-minute history of algorithms that are starting to go to war—long before they have been fully debugged.” – Gary Marcus, author of Taming Silicon Valley“An urgent exposé on the perils and promise of algorithmic warfare. With journalistic flair and insider access, Katrina Manson reveals how the Pentagon is racing to ‘enable lethality’ at machine speed.” – Patrick McGee, author of Apple in China“A secrecy-busting account of America’s development of AI in intelligence and weapons systems. Project Maven is a movie trailer of the future of warfare.” – Lionel Barber, former editor of the Financial Times and author of Gambling Man“Katrina Manson has achieved a rare feat: explaining a potentially world-changing technology through a gripping, page-turning narrative. From the battlefields of Afghanistan to the AI labs of Silicon Valley, Project Maven fires on all cylinders.” – Matthew Campbell, co-author of Dead in the Water“A gripping story of the most important secret military project of the twenty-first century. A band of revolutionaries smashed through the Pentagon bureaucracy to usher in a new age of AI warfare. An important book for understanding the future of war.” – Paul Scharre, author of Army of None“A revelatory examination of the future of war. Project Maven is meticulously reported yet reads like a thriller. If you want to understand the military applications of AI, read this book.” – Elliot Ackerman, author of Sheepdogs

Katrina Manson is an award–winning Bloomberg reporter who covers cyber, emerging tech, and national security. Her investigations exposed details of the US military’s AI use and US–China rivalry. She was previously the Financial Times US foreign policy and defense correspondent.