The U.S. Army wants to make its noncommissioned officer (NCO) promotion boards more focussed, transparent and efficient. In order to do so, the U.S. Army Human Resources Command (AHRC) is turning its attention to AI, Meritalk reported.

Col. Tom Malejko, Chief Talent Analytics Officer at AHRC, made the announcement during the Association of the U.S. Army’s annual meeting.

According to Malejko, AI will play a key role in streamlining the selection process by identifying and screening out less competitive candidates early on, allowing board members to dedicate their time and resources to evaluating the most qualified individuals.

The AI system ignores names, branches, and ranks, focusing solely on soldier records to check basic promotion prerequisites like schooling and command experience.

Maj. Gen. Hope Rampy of AHRC said NCO promotion boards face an unmanageable volume of records, many from soldiers not yet competitive for promotion. A new AI tool will help reduce this burden.

Early algorithm-based systems for officer selection excluded too many, but refinements improved accuracy. However, Rampy also stressed human oversight remains essential: every AI recommendation is reviewed, and demographic indicators are ignored to ensure fairness.