DOD to release new AI strategy on Tuesday

By John Liang / February 11, 2019 at 4:51 PM

The Defense Department on Tuesday will release a new "Artificial Intelligence Strategy, which articulates the department's approach for accelerating the delivery and adoption of AI-enabled capabilities," Pentagon Chief Information Officer Dana Deasey announced this afternoon.

"The impact of artificial intelligence will extend across the entire department, spanning from operations and training to recruiting and healthcare," Deasey said in a statement released by DOD. "The speed and agility with which we will deliver AI capabilities to the warfighter has the potential to change the character of warfare. We must accelerate the adoption of AI-enabled capabilities to strengthen our military, improve effectiveness and efficiency, and enhance the security of our nation."

DOD's AI strategy will be released "in close alignment with the principles and strategic objectives" of an executive order issued Monday by the president meant to maintain U.S. leadership in artificial intelligence.

The executive order notes that AI "will affect the missions of nearly all executive departments and agencies," and calls on the Defense, Commerce, Health and Human Services, and Energy secretaries as well as the heads of NASA and the National Science Foundation to "prioritize the allocation of high-performance computing resources for AI-related applications through: (i) increased assignment of discretionary allocation of resources and resource reserves; or (ii) any other appropriate mechanisms."

It also calls on the national security adviser to "organize the development of an action plan to protect the United States advantage in AI and AI technology critical to United States economic and national security interests against strategic competitors and adversarial nations."

The action plan is due "within 120 days of the date of this order, and may be classified in full or in part, as appropriate," and upon the president's approval "shall be implemented by all agencies who are recipients of the [Feb. 11 National Security Presidential Memorandum 'Protecting the United States Advantage in Artificial Intelligence and Related Critical Technologies'], for all AI-related activities, including those conducted pursuant to this order."

Read the full executive order here.

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