The Pentagon’s Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office (CDAO) has initiated a new programme to expedite the deployment of sophisticated advanced artificial intelligence (AI) technologies within the US Department of Defense (DOD).
The Artificial Intelligence Rapid Capabilities Cell (AI RCC), established by the CDAO, will collaborate with the Defense Innovation Unit on four inaugural frontier AI pilots. These projects aim to integrate generative AI models into military operations and administrative functions.
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These pilot programs are part of the AI RCC’s wider strategy to harness cutting-edge technologies and provide advanced AI tools to military personnel and essential DOD operations.
US DOD chief digital and artificial intelligence officer Dr Radha Plumb said: “The US and the US private sector, in particular, is at the cutting edge when it comes to artificial intelligence.
“At the same time, it’s important to recognise that AI adoption by adversaries like China, Russia, Iran and North Korea is accelerating and poses a significant national security risk.”
She indicated that the DOD is adopting a comprehensive approach to maintain US leadership in AI implementation.
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By GlobalDataThe AI RCC has plans to deploy generative AI applications across 15 distinct warfighting scenarios involving combat strategy, decision-making support, software engineering, and cyber security.
These focal points stem from insights provided by Task Force Lima’s research, a group formed in August 2023 by Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks. The task force was tasked with assessing and advocating for generative AI capabilities within the department and will be dissolved following the creation of the AI RCC.
For its initial phase, the AI RCC will be allocated roughly $100m for fiscal years 2024 and 2025. This funding will support pilot projects that use generative AI models for high-priority situations, as well as investments in fundamental AI infrastructure and instruments.
In conjunction with various department sectors, industry partners, and academic institutions, the CDAO and DIU will employ a rapid trial-and-error method for these pilots under their Open DAGIR framework while utilising all available flexible procurement methods.
With the inception of the AI RCC, Task Force Lima will conclude its operations.
The Frontier AI pilots will address four specific use cases, with two aimed at combat operations and the other two targeting organisational management, showcasing the potential of generative AI within defence settings.
The CDAO will work alongside combatant commands and other DOD stakeholders in a series of progressive trials to test these developing capabilities.
The trials include digital “sandboxes” establishment to enable AI testing and experimentation on government networks.
The AI RCC will invest in user-driven experimentation through CDAO’s Global Information Dominance Experiment series. This allows combatant command members to evaluate frontier AI models and provide instantaneous feedback to developers.
Furthermore, Plumb announced that CDAO will allocate $40m in small business innovation research grants to non-traditional and small-scale enterprises focusing on developing innovative generative AI solutions.
