Army to use artificial intelligence to predict which vehicles will break down

The U.S. Army is turning to a little-known tech start-up to automate the job of an equipment technician: It will employ artificial intelligence to flag failing vehicle parts before they break down in combat.

The company, Chicago-based Uptake Technologies, has finalized a $1 million contract agreement with the Army, under which the company’s technology will be tested on a few dozen vehicles before a decision is made on whether to scale it up for broader use.