Drew Cukor is a U.S. Marine Corps officer who founded and ran Project Maven, the U.S. military's AI-targeting system (now the Maven Smart System, anchored by Palantir). He is a central figure in Katrina Manson's 2026 book Project Maven.
Background and role
According to Manson, Cukor assembled "a team of mavericks who put AI at the heart of America's war machine" within the program (The AI that transformed American warfare (Economist, May 14 2026) — review of Manson's Project Maven). The Marine Corps reprimanded him for overseeing a toxic culture within Maven. The Economist's review of Manson's book describes him as "intriguing… whose intensity and drive shaped the programme's success" (The AI that transformed American warfare (Economist, May 14 2026) — review of Manson's Project Maven).
In Manson's account, Cukor is quoted reflecting on the program's stewardship of the technology: "Let's be able to look ourselves in the mirror and make sure we are careful. We have all this tech; are we the best custodians of it?"
Relationships
- founded: Project Maven (now Maven Smart System; Palantir-anchored)
- subject-of: Project Maven (Manson, 2026) — see Katrina Manson and The AI that transformed American warfare (Economist, May 14 2026) — review of Manson's Project Maven
- related: DOD — Department of Defense (AI Deployer), Palantir Technologies