The Pentagon has proposed a five-year, 30.3 million dollar initiative to upgrade its polygraph technology, according to recent budget documents. The project, known as Polygraph+ or Polygraph Next, aims to develop a system that uses artificial intelligence and advanced sensors to detect physiological signals without physical contact. This effort is part of a broader budget request that still needs Congressional approval and will be managed by the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA), which currently handles background checks for federal employees. The new tool is intended for screening job candidates and identifying potential "internal threats" within the department. It will use AI algorithms alongside "standoff sensing," a method that detects physiological signals from a distance, without placing devices on individuals. However, the specific technologies to be used in the project have not been finalized. In 2023, the Defense Innovation Unit invited companies to submit proposals for the project. Some notable contenders include Presage Technologies, which claims to measure pulse and breathing using regular cameras, and Altec Research, which tracks changes in facial skin temperature and pore activity. Despite these innovations, past attempts to use technologies like thermal cameras, pupil tracking, and brain scanners to detect lies have not produced reliable results beyond controlled lab environments. The American National Research Council criticized the scientific basis of traditional polygraphs in 2003, while the American Polygraph Association claims the devices are 80% to 94% accurate. However, with over 2.8 million employees in the department, even a high accuracy rate could lead to many false accusations. Critics also point out that individuals from minority groups are more likely to be labeled as dishonest, and the tests can be manipulated with simple methods, such as hiding a pin in a shoe to alter physiological responses to neutral questions. Lawyer Kyri Kotsoglou noted that while AI might detect new patterns in body data, there is currently no evidence that these patterns reliably indicate deception, due to a lack of historical data on who was actually lying during past tests. The New York Times reported in September that approximately fifty officers from the general staff took the test after articles emerged about the depletion of American weapon stocks in the war against Iran. Lawyer Marion Oswald argued that these tests are more about applying pressure to get confessions than gathering accurate information.