This story is from September 25, 2026. For the latest, see today's news.
The US Department of Defense has requested $30.3 million over five years for a program called Polygraph+, also known as Polygraph Next, according to a budget request. The initiative would develop new scoring using artificial intelligence and to improve lie detection accuracy.
The program also plans to use a method called "standoff sensing," which could allow monitoring without direct physical contact. The goal is to better vet personnel and identify potential security leaks within the department.
Some experts have raised concerns about combining AI with polygraph testing, noting that traditional lie detectors are already considered unreliable, and adding automated scoring could compound those problems rather than solve them.
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