Photo By Staff Sgt. Madeline Herzog | Justin Warnack (left), Air Combat Command participant, and U.S. Air Force Master Sgt....... read more read more
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JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. – Air Combat Command’s Directorate of Cyberspace Operations and Warfighting Communications hosted an Artificial Intelligence Acquisition Literacy workshop August 6-7, here. Artificial Intelligence is a fast-developing technology that is increasingly being adopted and utilized within the Department of Defense to enhance digital capabilities.
Organized by the Office of the Secretary of Defense Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office and geared toward acquisitions professionals, the course is designed to help personnel understand the importance of AI and how to successfully acquire and implement the technology for DoD projects.
“What we’re doing here is hosting a two-day acquisition of AI education course,” said Ryan Connell, OSD CDAO, Acquisition Chief of Strategic Operations. “I'm hopeful that we leave here with more educated individuals on how we procure AI, focused on enabling the DoD mission.”
More than 20 DoD military members and civilians, as well as U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force and Joint Staff employees attended the course, which aims to lead the way for procurement of smarter, faster and better AI and technology capabilities.
“The beauty of having the Air Force and Army in the same room with CDAO is that we enable learning as one Department of Defense and the continued communication about AI will help facilitate cross organization, agency, and departmental knowledge,” said Connell.
According to course instructor Will Roberts, there are three main components of AI that acquisition professionals need to understand before starting an AI project: models, data and compute and storage.
Models are the algorithms and machine learning models that form the “brain” of the AI system. Data is crucial to training the AI model. The more data available, the more accurate the AI can become. Computing power and storage capacity are needed to run the AI models. Advancements in areas like GPU processing and cloud computing have enabled more powerful AI.
Understanding and having expertise in these basic components allows units to effectively lead and manage AI projects.
“AI enhances our operational capabilities by improving our efficiency in the acquisition process and giving us strategic advantage and innovation,” said Laura Guay, ACC CDAO AI technical director.
During day one, the participants engaged in games and exercises that emphasized the importance of seven key traits that make up an ‘AI acquisition hero.’
1. Be mission-focused - Understand your organization’s mission and how the AI project will enhance it.
2. Know enough to ‘pop the hood’ - Understand the technical components of AI (data, compute and storage, models) before making a purchase, ensuring informed decision-making and avoiding potential pitfalls by scrutinizing its quality, functionality, and suitability for users’ needs.
3. Understand that you are the Hero or the Problem - Be the hero by securing the right resources and solutions to propel your organization towards its goals, not the problem by misaligning acquisitions and hindering progress and efficiency.
4. Don’t overdo it - Focus on straightforward, efficient solutions that align with your organization's needs. Avoiding unnecessary complexity that can lead to inefficiency and complications.
5. Think responsibly - Make sure to follow Responsible AI methods every step of the way by integrating ethical considerations, transparency, and accountability from development to deployment, to build trust and achieve sustainable success.
6. Learn Together/Fight Together - Engage in continuous team exercises that foster collaboration, shared knowledge, and collective problem-solving, ensuring that the entire team is aligned and prepared to achieve organizational success. Take subject matter experts from diverse disciplines to work together.
7. Go for Speed - Prioritize speed by streamlining processes and making swift, informed decisions, ensuring that your organization remains agile and responsive in achieving its goals.
“AI is not so complex that it's unattainable, but it's also not something we can just give to a contractor and expect that they're going to make it happen for us,” said Roberts. “This isn't a niche or a specialty; it will impact every DoD acquisition professional, no matter where they stand. These are early adopters in this room. They are catching the first wave of this revolution.”
By proactively attending courses geared toward AI, Airmen and DoD personnel alike can help improve operational readiness with the knowledge to implement AI in a mission-focused, ethical, and collaborative manner.
“AI is a pivotal force able to reshape the landscape of warfare, providing enhanced autonomy, operational efficiency, and strategic advantage,” said Guay. “This includes the development of autonomous systems that can operate in contested environments, thereby expanding the Air Force’s and ACC’s reach while minimizing the risks to human personnel.”
| Date Taken: | 08.28.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 08.28.2024 09:39 |
| Story ID: | 479616 |
| Location: | VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 64 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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