There are multiple claims about the potential of artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled systems to boost or even transform defence capabilities. Trevor Taylor explores how the effective acquisition of such systems presents major challenges to governmental defence to act as an intelligent customer and to review the balance of capability generation responsibilities between government and private sector bodies. He also shows that the first step is to recognise how AI procurement does not fit in easily with established procurement elements, including requirements specification, competitive modes of procurement, speed of decision-making and test and acceptance arrangements.