Retired Army Lt. Gen. Ross Coffman isn’t mincing words when it comes to the next frontier of warfare.

The former commander and now president of Forward Edge-AI warns that America and its allies are standing at a dangerous crossroads — a point where artificial intelligence and quantum computing could rewrite the rules of military dominance and national survival.

Coffman, whose company builds cutting-edge tools at the intersection of AI, cybersecurity, and national defense, told Military.com that we’ve entered a perilous new era.

“We’re in a very dangerous place in the cyber world right now,” he said, underscoring how artificial intelligence has supercharged the pace and power of cyberattacks, many of which now run autonomously 24/7.

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The General wasn’t talking about hypothetical sci-fi threats. He was referring to real-world capabilities already in play — AI-powered cyberweapons capable of scanning global networks in milliseconds to find vulnerabilities without a single human involved.

These intelligent viruses don’t sleep, don’t need breaks, and don’t wait for orders. They just hunt.

Coffman’s warning is particularly stark because it connects two fast-advancing technologies — AI and quantum computing — that most Americans only hear about at tech conferences or in science sections of the news. But for him, these aren’t laboratory curiosities.

They’re potential weapons that could cripple entire sectors of national security if the nation doesn’t prepare.

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As he explained, “With AI being used in cyberattacks without a human in the loop, that means it doesn’t sleep.

It goes 24/7, 365, looking for vulnerabilities.” That reality, paired with adversaries who know how to exploit it, presents a threat unlike anything the War Department has faced before.

Forward Edge-AI’s work focuses on making sure the United States isn’t caught off guard when this technology leap proves decisive. Among its projects is Isidore Quantum, a platform built for what’s called “post-quantum cryptography.”

The goal: develop encryption strong enough to survive the coming wave of quantum-capable codebreakers.

Quantum computing is not about more powerful laptops—it’s about machines using quantum bits, or qubits, to calculate on a scale that shatters today’s encryption.

Experts warn that when “Q-Day” comes — the moment quantum systems can break public-key cryptography — the world’s digital security as we know it could collapse. Banks, hospitals, power grids, even military communication systems could be at risk.

It’s no wonder the feds are scrambling. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) recently finalized the first post-quantum cryptography standards and urged immediate migration.

The National Security Agency, through its Commercial National Security Algorithm Suite 2.0, has already established hard deadlines — mandating that key systems become quantum-proof by 2035. Any gear that can’t make the cut will be retired by 2030.

Coffman supports that urgency but warns that implementation is another beast entirely. Transitioning massive, layered federal networks, many built on outdated architectures, to quantum-resistant standards is not a weekend project. “It’s not difficult, but it’s not something you do overnight if you have a large network,” he said.

That statement carries weight. Forward Edge-AI isn’t just talking theory — it is developing the hardware-and-software hybrid solutions to retrofit the systems that run America’s cyber backbone.

Coffman’s team aims to shield sensitive data across military, energy, and financial sectors from a day when traditional encryption could be rendered worthless.

The general’s military mindset informs his approach. He sees the AI and quantum threats as part of the same evolving battlespace, one where lines blur between digital and physical warfare.

Cyberattacks often accompany real-world tensions now, as seen in the Ukraine conflict and China’s global hacking campaigns. America’s adversaries no longer need to build a fleet or occupy territory to inflict damage — they simply need to breach a network.

And they’re getting better at it. Coffman points out that artificial intelligence now makes it easier for state and non-state actors to automate intrusion attempts, tailor phishing campaigns, and exploit human error faster than security teams can respond. “Technology isn’t the biggest vulnerability,” he said, “people are.”

He’s right. The weakest link remains human oversight — from careless users clicking questionable links to bureaucrats delaying critical tech transitions. That’s a gap our adversaries, from Beijing to Tehran, are eager to exploit.

Coffman’s ultimate message is both warning and opportunity. America can either lead in secure, AI-enhanced defense systems or play catch-up to nations with fewer moral limits on how they deploy this technology.

The difference will be leadership and preparation — both hallmarks of the Trump-era approach to national security that emphasized dominance, not dependence.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and the Trump administration’s defense vision have already made it clear that keeping America safe in the next generation of combat will require muscle, vigilance, and technological superiority.

Coffman’s words simply drive home the point that this battle has already begun — online, in code, and at the speed of thought.

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