Hicks Announces New Artificial Intelligence Initiative > U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE > Defense Department News
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Artificial intelligence integration is about trust, and a responsible AI ecosystem is the foundation for that trust, Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen H. Hicks said today.
In a virtual speech ahead of the opening of the Defense Department’s Artificial Intelligence Symposium and Technology Exchange, Hicks said DOD operators need to trust the results of AI systems; their commanders must trust the legal, ethical, and moral foundations of explainable AI; and the American people must trust the values that DOD has built into each of its applications.
“An important part of an AI-enabled department is having a strong data foundation,” said Hicks. “Data enables the creation of algorithmic models and with the right data we can turn concepts and ideas into reality.”
The assistant secretary said she recently tabled a series of data decrees for DOD that will help the US achieve the AI superiority it needs.
“We will ensure that DOD data is visible, accessible, understandable, linked, trustworthy, interoperable and secure. In addition, I have taken important first steps to ensure that the department treats data as a strategic asset, ”she said, adding these steps to put DOD on a solid foundation – both ethically and organizationally.
“I am proud to announce the DOD AI and Data Acceleration Initiative or ADA Initiative today. Its goal is to quickly introduce data and AI-dependent concepts, such as common cross-domain command and control options, into the ADA initiative [to] Generate basic skills through a series of implementation experiments or exercises, each of which is targeted to build understanding through successive and incremental learning. “
Hicks said that each exercise pushes the boundaries of the previous one and builds on what is learned. She said this represents a software engineering approach that iteratively adds and builds skills for different lines of effort:
- DOD creates operational data teams that are deployed to all 11 combatant squads. The teams work quickly, cataloging, managing, and automating data feeds that aid decision-making. These teams will continue to ensure that the data is collected, completed, curated and used until the combatant’s commands can utilize the data necessary for a decision-making advantage.
- DOD will build on new, permanent data relationships with additional “flyaway teams of technical experts” to streamline and automate the commands of the battles through the integration of AI. Teams will bring world-class talent and technology, and build real skills that can be evaluated in real operating environments.
- DOD will use the information gathered from the data teams, AI flyaway teams, and combatant command drills to update network infrastructure, remove political barriers, and ensure the reliability and effectiveness of its global warfare capabilities.
“The important thing is that these events are conducted in line with the combatants’ busy experimentation and training cycle,” said Hicks. “Through successive experiments, we seek to understand the obstacles and challenges that affect our current ability to quickly scale AI across the department and the Joint Force.”
When DOD completes these episodic exercises and experiments, it intends to leave its abilities behind, Hicks said. “True to our software engineering mentality, we strive to acquire interactive skills and to quickly scale to other command environments of combatants with similar challenges. This will ultimately produce data and operations platforms designed for real-time sensor data fusion and automated command and control tasks, and autonomous system integration. It will allow data to flow through both geographic and functional commands. ”
Hicks said DOD’s fourth line of effort will enable advanced data management platforms to be compliant with data regulations. These platforms will enable an open data standard architecture and the production of scalable, testable and repeatable data workflows. This will make cross-domain and cross-component experimentation and development easier. By generating centralized and scalable data, DOD will accelerate the gains from using AI, she explained.
The ADA initiative recognizes the challenges faced by the DOD and provides a systematic way of leveraging data and AI. It also creates a way forward for a mission room that often appeared to be more rhetoric than action, Hicks said.
“They represent the department and its many partners who face the competitive challenges of our future. [Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III] and I need your help to capitalize on our innovation, build trust, modernize our processes and serve our great nation, “said Hicks, thanking the group for their efforts.
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