The US Department of Defense has requested $30.3 million over the next five years to develop an improved lie detection system, according to a budget request first reported by Inside Defense. The program, tentatively named “Polygraph+” or “Polygraph Next,” aims to integrate artificial intelligence and machine learning into federal credibility assessments.

What Happened

The proposed initiative focuses on two main technological areas: scoring algorithms driven by AI and a technique known as “standoff sensing.” Standoff sensing allows for physiological readings to be taken from a subject without attaching devices directly to their person. The project is slated to be managed by the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA), the federal entity responsible for conducting background checks. According to the unapproved budget document, the technology will be deployed for vetting prospective employees and “insider threat detection.”

While specific technologies remain undefined, previous efforts by the DCSA’s Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) offer context. In 2023, the DIU selected two companies, Presage Technologies and Altec Research, to build prototypes. Presage claims its technology can measure heart and breathing rates via standard cameras, while Altec Research’s prototype tracks head movement, facial skin temperature, and pore activity. Neither company nor the DIU responded to requests for further comment.

Why It Matters

The push for a new polygraph system comes amid heightened internal tension at the Pentagon. Under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, the department has increasingly relied on traditional polygraph tests to investigate alleged leaks, with reports indicating that around 50 Joint Staff officers underwent testing in September following coverage of US weapons stockpiles in the war with Iran. However, experts warn that this new initiative may face the same scientific hurdles as its predecessors.

Kyri Kotsoglou, a professor at Northumbria Law School, describes the effort as “a misguided effort to reduce the complex to something that is tangible.” The current polygraph, largely unchanged since its invention in the 1920s, relies on blood pressure, pulse, breathing, and sweat measurements. Its efficacy has been heavily criticized; a 1983 Congressional Office of Technology Assessment report found limited evidence for its use in screening, and a 2003 US National Research Council report labeled the evidence “weak at best.”

The stakes for accuracy are high given the scale of federal employment. The American Polygraph Association claims an 80 to 94% accuracy rate, but the 2003 NRC report noted that even this level of accuracy could result in tens of thousands of false accusations when applied to the DoD’s 2.8 million staff. Additionally, interpretations remain subjective, with different examiners often reaching divergent conclusions, and minorities being disproportionately judged as deceptive. Sophie van der Zee, an associate professor at Erasmus University, notes that the polygraph’s primary utility is deterrence rather than detection, a function that relies entirely on the public’s belief in the machine’s validity.

The Bottom Line

The Pentagon’s $30.3 million request marks the latest attempt to modernize a controversial tool. While the DCSA intends to use AI and non-contact sensing to improve reliability, the program must overcome significant scientific skepticism and a history of failed technological interventions in lie detection. The budget request still requires congressional approval.