When it comes to future military readiness, 2019 has been the year of artificial intelligence. The Department of Defense launched its AI strategy in February followed by the White House's executive order on "Maintaining American Leadership in Artificial Intelligence" -- both of which indicate accelerated delivery of AI-enabled capabilities and scaling the technology across DOD while cultivating a much-needed tech workforce. Military leaders recognize AI's potentially seismic impact on their mission and operations, and they expect practical applications to proliferate, from threat monitoring to asset tracking to predictive maintenance. Where, when and how those applications evolve from idea to reality is an unfolding story. So too is the global AI landscape, as Russia, China and other countries make substantial investments in such capabilities.