The Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) has launched a new AI-focused incubator called GenWar Lab, aimed at bringing generative artificial intelligence into the heart of military wargaming. Its goal is to merge advanced AI models with traditional tabletop exercises and simulation-based war games, allowing decision-makers to explore a wider range of scenarios more quickly and deeply.
A major component of the lab is GenWar TTX, which creates a digital environment where senior military and civilian leaders can engage in war games with AI-powered agents. These AI agents act as adversaries, advisers, or other decision-makers, enabling participants to stress-test strategies in a dynamic, AI-enhanced setting.
Another important piece is GenWar Sim, which combines AI (especially large language models) with a high-fidelity simulation framework called AFSIM. Through natural-language interaction, users can issue commands and receive rapidly adjudicated outcomes, making wargaming more accessible while retaining rigorous, physics-based modeling.
Looking ahead, the lab plans to build GenWar X, an exploratory wing focused on cutting-edge experiments — like generating future conflict scenarios and AI personas for adversary forces. According to APL, this effort will help defense planners test more “what-if” situations and uncover decision inflection points in a more scalable fashion.
