Pentagon must close technology gap, get AI right to win on battlefield
By Tony DeMartino
Thursday, Aug 24
Thanks to advances in AI, human-agent teaming and machine learning, soldiers will provide commanders with real-time information about the enemy gathered from a variety of different sources, including possible courses of action, which will help them to make better decisions in battle. (Army)
Amid the Pentagon’s claims that it is prioritizing artificial intelligence, the usually supportive General Accountability Office has entered the chat.
A recent report by the GAO dinged the Department of Defense, saying it lacks standardized guidance for organizations to field and acquire AI at speed. While the DoD has made progress, including the establishment of rapid acquisition pathways for software and the release of ethical AI principles, barriers to entry for companies still exist and are real.
I continue to be disappointed by the lack of technology in the hands of our warfighters. I admit I could have done more when I worked as the Deputy Chief of Staff to then Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, and I recognize the difficulty in implementing department-wide change. That said, I am driven by my experience that, as an Infantry Battalion Commander while on the ground in Afghanistan, my nephew on the streets of Brooklyn had more advanced technology in his cell phone than my squad leaders had in combat. Even today—12 years later—the gap hasn’t closed. With the threat of China looming, it’s more important than ever.
https://www.c4isrnet.com/opinion/2023/08/24/pentagon-must-close-technology-gap-get-ai-right-to-win-on-battlefield/
