The United States Army has embarked on a crucial initiative, seeking the support of industry partners to bolster the safety and reliability of artificial intelligence (AI) systems through comprehensive testing and evaluation processes. To mitigate these risks, the Army has developed a strategic 100-day plan aimed at addressing these challenges and preparing the service for the extensive adoption of third-party AI models and algorithms.
The plan, unveiled in March by the Army’s Assistant Secretary for Acquisitions, Logistics, and Technology, represents a proactive approach to integrating AI capabilities more securely and efficiently. As Young Bang, the Army’s Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Acquisition, emphasized, “The Army recognizes that we’re not going to be doing algorithms and model development and training better than industry; we want industry to do that. And they do that extremely well. And so we want to adopt a lot of that. And one of the obstacles for the adoption is: how do we look at risk around AI?”
Central to this initiative is Project Linchpin, a program designed to create a digital environment equipped with vetted tools, infrastructure, standards, potential use cases, and associated data for AI. According to Bharat Patel, the lead for the Army’s Project Linchpin and Sensor AI program, “We are doing some basic model training. But it’s not for performance or anything. We are trying to figure out what is our process, what is our governance, what [are] our standards that will allow us to do this a lot faster. So our purpose is really to kind of learn and to make sure that we are ready to run once the 500-day implementation plan and contracts and all that is in place.”
Project Linchpin is poised to serve as a repository for algorithms from various programs and third-party sources, enabling program managers to seamlessly integrate and enhance AI capabilities within their respective projects. This centralized approach aims to simplify the deployment of AI across different operational theaters, with tailored solutions for specific areas of responsibility. Patel elaborated, “Each theater is different. You can’t think a model for European Command is going to work out of the box for Indo-Pacific Command. The trees are different, the biosphere is different…that’s why it’s super important to get after the use case. And where that area of responsibility is specifically at. So we are looking at that very closely.”
The DoD’s Office of Industrial Base Resilience underscores the importance of AI integration for national security, stating, “The integration of AI into defense systems is pivotal to national security. The DIB is responsible for developing, manufacturing, and maintaining the systems that the U.S. military uses to defend the nation. DoD collaborates with the DIB to rapidly adopt AI for defense applications and maintain the nation’s tactical advantage.”
Relevant articles:
– DefendAI: Army wants industry help with safety testing for artificial intelligence, Breaking Defense, 05/23/2024
– Pentagon seeks public comment on defense industrial base adoption of AI, DefenseScoop, 05/21/2024
– Inside the US Army’s Plans to Deploy and Implement AI,April 3, 2024
– The Army is trying to identify all the obstacles to adopting AI in 100 days,APRIL 23, 2024
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