AI: The Future of the Defense Industry?

• Author: Cassidy, Susan
• Position: Government Contracting Insights

The technologies of the defense industry are in the early stages of a seismic shift in the area of intelligent warfare. Given the advances in the commercial world, the Pentagon has realized in some cases it may need to turn to nontraditional contractors to fill important roles and that it needs to ramp up its expertise in artificial intelligence.

Government contractors should take note and look for new opportunities, as the federal government's role in the AI field will only continue to grow.

In a memorandum issued this summer, Deputy Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan ordered the establishment of the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center, or JAIC.

The new organization has the "overarching goal of accelerating the delivery of AI-enabled capabilities, scaling the department-wide impact of AI and synchronizing DoD AI activities to expand joint force advantages," the memo said.

The center will be the primary organization responsible for coordinating and executing the department's 2018 Artificial Intelligence Strategy, and for helping the military "to swiftly introduce new capabilities and effectively experiment with new operational concepts in support of DoD's warfighting missions and business functions."

Per the memo, the JAIC will take four steps to achieve its overarching goal and execute the new strategy. First, it will launch "large-scale efforts to apply AI to a cluster of closely related, urgent, joint challenges." These National Mission Initiatives will be developed in partnership with the military departments and services, joint staff combatant commands and other Defense Department components.

Second, the center will "establish a department-wide common foundation for execution in AI that includes the tools, shared data, reusable technologies, processes and expertise to enable rapid delivery and department-wide scaling of AI-enabled capabilities."

Third, it will strengthen partnerships, highlight critical needs, solve problems of urgent operational significance, and adapt AI technologies through collaboration within the government and with industry and other strategic partners.

Fourth, the organization will work with the office of the secretary of defense to develop a governance framework and standards for AI development and delivery.

At a recent meeting, the Defense Innovation Board outlined how it will help the center implement its goals. That includes assisting in the development of AI principles for defense. These principles will...