The US Army is moving to establish new career paths dedicated to artificial intelligence and machine learning, marking a significant step in its broader push to modernize for future conflict.
According to internal documents reviewed by Military.com, the service plans to create a new enlisted military occupational specialty, designated 49B, focused specifically on AI and machine learning.
A corresponding track for warrant officers is also in development, aimed at placing technical experts within operational units.
I’ll admit that until an email dropped into my inbox, I wasn’t even aware DuckDuckGo had an AI chatbot akin to ChatGPT on the go. But now I do, and per said email, it’s now able to run OpenAI’s gpt-oss:120b LLM.
Traditionally an open source model such as this is one you would run locally through a tool such as Ollama or LMStudio, but thanks to DuckDuckGo anyone can use it, use it privately, and for free.
Why does this matter? If you were to download gpt-oss:120b in all of its 120 billion parameter glory to use at its best in Ollama, you would need more VRAM than you would get from a pair of RTX 5090s.
It’s 65GB in size, so unless you have some monstrous GPU power in your rack, or something like an AMD Strix Halo-powered PC with all that lovely unified memory, it’s pretty tough to run on consumer hardware.
Especially tough to run well.
Fast, free, private access to a sizable open-source LLM. (Image credit: Windows Central)
What Duck.ai is providing is free access to this model, but using their servers, not your own machine. As it’s provided by DuckDuckGo, a company well known for its commitment to privacy, it’s probably as trustworthy as you’ll get from an online tool of this kind.
DuckDuckGo even flat out states that all chats are anonymized, and like other free-to-use models, you don’t have to have an account. No sign-ups, no email address, just open the web page and start prompting your behind off.
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So, how is it? It’s fast. As if it wouldn’t be when it’s being powered by some massive cluster of hardware somewhere that isn’t your home. In my limited time playing with it so far, it seems at least as quick at generating responses as the 20b model does on my RTX 5090 — Duck.ai doesn’t show the tokens per second figure — but with one difference I’m not sure how I feel about yet.
Using gpt-oss:120b in Duck.ai, you don’t see the content of the thinking that’s done, it just throws out the response. The more I’ve been using gpt-oss on my own machine, the more I’ve started to appreciate being able to see this information.
Using thinking models such as gpt-oss locally with Ollama, you can see the thought process that delivers your response. Duck.ai doesn’t have this. (Image credit: Windows Central)
Maybe it’s just me, but it’s always interesting, and sometimes enlightening, seeing how the model created the output that it serves. In some cases this is how I’ve learned where mistakes have been made, and I feel like it’s valuable information. I’d love it if Duck.ai even offered it as an option in settings to either show it or not.
You also can’t upload your own files to use with the model. Some of the other options have image upload support, but as far as I can tell, none allow you to upload other files such as documents or examples of code. This is perhaps part of the privacy angle, but it does add a limitation to how you may want to use it.
It’s generally really good, though, and since it’s built inside a web app that feels a lot like ChatGPT or Google Gemini, it’s welcoming and easy to use. It saves your recent chats in the sidebar, and the settings on hand to tweak how you want your responses are pretty thorough. These all apply, of course, to any of the models you use on Duck.ai, not just gpt-oss:120b.
I might have found a new gem in my own AI arsenal here, but to decide on that, I’ll have to play with it some more. For now, I’m just happy I can try gpt-oss:120b without having to have a GPU farm. Or an NVIDIA Blackwell Pro.
If you want exposure to the AI boom without the hassle of picking individual stocks, these three AI-focused ETFs offer diversified, long-term opportunities.
Artificial intelligence (AI) has been a huge catalyst for the portfolios of many investors over the past several years. Large tech companies are spending hundreds of billions of dollars to build out their AI hardware infrastructure, creating massive winners like semiconductor designer Nvidia.
But not everyone wants to go hunting for the next big AI winner, nor is it easy to know which company will stay in the lead even if you do your own research and find a great artificial intelligence stock to buy. That’s where exchange-traded funds (ETFs) can help.
If you’re afraid of missing out on the AI boom, and have around $100 to invest right now, here are three great AI exchange-traded funds that will allow you to track some of the biggest names in artificial intelligence, no matter who’s leading the pack.
Image source: Getty Images.
1. Global X Artificial Intelligence and Technology ETF
The Global X Artificial Intelligence and Technology ETF(AIQ 0.87%) is one of the top AI ETF options for investors because it holds a diverse group of around 90 stocks, spanning semiconductors, data infrastructure, and software. Its portfolio includes household names like Nvidia, Microsoft, and Alphabet, alongside lesser-known players that give investors exposure to AI companies they might not otherwise consider.
Another strength of AIQ is its global reach: the fund invests in both U.S. and international companies, providing broader diversification across the AI landscape. Of course, this targeted approach comes at a cost. AIQ’s expense ratio of 0.68% is slightly higher than the average ETF (around 0.56%), but it’s in line with other AI-focused funds.
Performance-wise, the Global X Artificial Intelligence and Technology ETF has rewarded investors. Over the past three years, it gained 117%, trouncing the S&P 500‘s 63% return over the same period. While past performance doesn’t guarantee future results, this track record shows how powerful exposure to AI-focused companies can be.
2. Global X Robotics and Artificial Intelligence ETF
As its name suggests, the Global X Robotics and Artificial Intelligence ETF (BOTZ -0.21%) focuses on both robotics and artificial intelligence companies, as well as automation investments. Two key holdings in the fund are Pegasystems, which is an automation software company, as well as Intuitive Surgical, which creates robotic-assisted surgical systems. And yes, you’ll still have exposure to top AI stocks, including Nvidia as well.
Having some exposure to robotics and automation could be a wise long-term investment strategy. For example, UBS estimates that there will be 2 million humanoid robots in the workforce within the next decade and could reach 300 million by 2050 — reaching an estimated market size of $1.7 trillion.
If you’re inclined to believe that robotics is the future, the Global X Robotics and Artificial Intelligence ETF is a good way to spread out your investments across 49 individual companies that are betting on this future. You’ll pay an annual expense ratio of 0.68% for the fund, which is comparable to the Global X Artificial Intelligence and Technology ETF’s fees.
The fund has performed slightly better than the broader market over the past three years — gaining about 68%. Still, as robotics grows in the coming years, this ETF could be a good place to have some money invested.
3. iShares Future AI and Tech ETF
And finally, the iShares Future AI and Tech ETF(ARTY 1.72%) offers investors exposure to 48 global companies betting on AI infrastructure, cloud computing, and machine learning.
Some of the fund’s key holdings include the semiconductor company Advanced Micro Devices, Arista Networks, and the AI chip leader Broadcom, which just inked a $10 billion semiconductor deal with a large new client (widely believed to be OpenAI). In addition to its diversification across AI and tech companies, the iShares Future AI and Tech ETF also has a lower expense ratio than some of its peers, charging just 0.47% annually.
The fund has slightly underperformed the S&P 500 lately, gaining about 61% compared to the broader market’s 63% gains over the past three years. But with its strong diversification among tech and AI leaders, as well as its lower expense ratio, investors looking for a solid play on the future of artificial intelligence will find what they’re looking for in this ETF.
Chris Neiger has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Advanced Micro Devices, Alphabet, Arista Networks, Intuitive Surgical, Microsoft, and Nvidia. The Motley Fool recommends Broadcom and recommends the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
