Defense Department Explores AI Innovation

Fri, 07/28/2023

Defense Department leaders have consistently touted AI’s benefits in helping the department realize its vision for maintaining a competitive edge against adversaries.

AI leaders from DOD, the Navy and industry discuss:

Using AI to automate rote shipboard tasks
Primary tenets that make up responsible AI at the department
How the Chief Digital and AI Office is weighing acquisition changes for the technology
AI’s role amid pushing computing further at the edge

Table of Contents

Navy Wants Robots to Perform Routine Shipboard Tasks (Article)
The Naval Research Laboratory has been building robots to perform ship maintenance and repair fragile and expensive satellites to help sailors prioritize mission needs.
DOD Responsible AI Tenets (Infographic)
It will require building a reliable governance structure and cultivating an educated and trained workforce to adopt AI responsibly at DOD-wide levels.
AI Advancements Hinge on Data and Responsibility – Partner Interview
Automation can have incredible impacts as long as the algorithms are built with key ethical practices in mind. Featuring Caden Bradbury, AI/Analytics Solution Specialist, NetApp and Kurt Steege, Chief Technology Officer, ThunderCat Technology
DOD CDAO Rethinks Adopting Department-Wide AI Acquisition Guidance – Article
The office is considering whether to provide more guidance on AI acquisition.

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Featuring

David Aha Director, Navy Center for Applied Research
David Aha
- Director
- Navy Center for Applied Research
David Aha serves as the Director of the AI Center at the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, DC. He received his PhD in 1990 from UC Irvine, where he launched the UCI Repository of Machine Learning Databases. His research interests include goal reasoning agents, deliberative autonomy, case-based reasoning, explainable agency, machine learning (e.g., GenAI), reproducible studies, and related topics. David served as a AAAI Councilor, co-organized the AAAI Video Competitions during 2007-2009, received AAAI’s Robert S. Engelmore Memorial Lecture Award in 2017, and received awards for five publications. He has led the evaluation teams for four DARPA programs and one ONR program.
Caden Bradbury AI/Analytics Solution Specialist, NetApp
Caden Bradbury
- AI/Analytics Solution Specialist
- NetApp
Glen Henshaw Head of Robotics and Machine Learning, Naval Research Laboratory
Glen Henshaw
- Head of Robotics and Machine Learning
- Naval Research Laboratory
Steven Meier Director, Naval Center for Space Technology
Steven Meier
- Director
- Naval Center for Space Technology
Margaret Palmieri Deputy Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Officer, DOD
Margaret Palmieri
- Deputy Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Officer
- DOD
Kurt Steege Chief Technology Officer, ThunderCat Technology
Kurt Steege
- Chief Technology Officer
- ThunderCat Technology
Kurt Steege is the Chief Technology Officer at Thundercat Technology, is a Service-Disabled, Veteran-Owned Small Business that delivers technology services and solutions to the federal government and Fortune 500 companies. At Thundercat he is responsible for driving technology value for our clients through evaluation, architecture and outreach.

Prior to joining Thundercat, Kurt was the Chief Information Officer of MacAndrews and Forbes Inc., a diverse global holding company, based in New York City. During his time there he led a complete IT transformation and brought the company a modern standardized infrastructure upon which the business can depend. In the government space, Kurt served as the Chief Enterprise Architect at the FBI. Under Kurt’s leadership at the FBI the EAPO created roadmaps for IT Transformation, strategic direction for Shared Services, Mobility, Storage, and User Experience.

Over the rest of his 20+ year career in Information Technology, Kurt has held roles within private industries for technology, financials, and education to help drive value and efficiency into small, medium and large organizations.