Pentagon outlines ‘path forward’ for AI
by February 20, 2019 6:30 am 431 views
The Department of Defense (DOD) on Feb. 12 released the summary of its strategy on artificial intelligence (AI) that describes how the nation’s military will leverage security technology into the future.
Pentagon officials said the key tenets of the DOD strategy include speeding up the delivery and adoption of AI, establishing a common foundation for scaling the impact of the emerging technology across the military branches and enabling decentralized development and experimentation. The DOD’s plan also calls for evolving partnerships with industry, academia, allies and partners, as well as cultivating a leading AI workforce and for the U.S. military to take the lead in AI ethics and safety.
The department’s strategic approach to AI also emphasizes its “rapid, iterative, and responsible delivery and then the use of lessons learned to create repeatable and scalable processes and systems that will improve functions and missions across the department.”
“AI is poised to change the character of the future battlefield and the pace of threats faced in today’s security environment. The United States, together with its allies and partners, must adopt AI to maintain its strategic position and prevail on future battlefields,” the Pentagon said in a statement. “AI will impact every corner of the department, spanning operations, training, sustainment, force protection, recruiting, healthcare and others.”
The focal point of DOD’s AI program is the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center, established in June under DOD Chief Information Officer Dana Deasy and led by Lt. Gen. John “Jack” Shanahan. The goal of the center is to provide a common vision, mission and focus to drive department-wide AI capability delivery, officials said.
DOD’s AI strategy supports the National Defense Strategy and is part of DOD’s overall efforts to modernize information technology to support the warfighter, defend against cyberattacks and leverage emerging technologies, officials said.
More information on the DOD’s AI strategy is available here.