Bridging the Gap: How the Army is Successfully Integrating AI
Discussions frequently revolve around how the military can leverage commercial innovation to gain a strategic advantage, especially in the realm of artificial intelligence. These conversations often express disappointment over missed opportunities and cumbersome Defense Department (DOD) processes. However, there is a new success story emerging.
The 18th Airborne Corps’ Scarlet Dragon Exercise and the Maven Smart System (MSS) provide a real-world example of frontline Army leaders, a coalition of technology companies, and Pentagon leadership working together to quickly develop a new technology that is making a difference in military operations. The Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET) hosted an event on Thursday, August 29, 2024, to examine how technology companies and operational forces partnered to prototype and build a substantial new AI capability for the U.S. Army. This event served as a case study for accelerating government adoption of AI through prototyping.
VADM Brad Cooper
The event featured discussions with key leaders and experts:
Panel on Developing Software and AI for the Department of Defense
- Jason Brown, General Manager, Government at Applied Intuition Defense
- Aki Jain, Chief Technology Officer, Palantir
- Joe Larson, SVP and Chief of Staff, Anduril
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Colonel Joe O’Callaghan, USA, AI Fires Officer, 18th Airborne Corps
Moderated By: Emelia Probasco, Senior Fellow, Center for Security and Emerging Technology
Colonel Joe O’Callaghan, USA
Panel on Scaling Software and AI for the Department of Defense
- Doug Beck, Director, Defense Innovation Unit
- Margie Palmieri, Deputy Director, Chief Digital and AI Office
- VADM Frank Whitworth, USN, Director, National Geospatial Agency
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The Honorable Bob Work, Former Deputy Secretary of Defense
Moderated By: The Honorable Christine Fox, Senior Fellow, Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory
Bob Work
Emelia Probasco
Doug Beck
Margie Palmieri
Jason Brown
Aki Jain
Joe Larson
VADM Frank Whitworth, USN
Christine Fox
Panel on Scaling Software and AI for the Department of Defense
Event Agenda
- 1:00 PM: Welcome
- 1:15 PM: Keynote with VADM Brad Cooper, Deputy Commander, U.S. Central Command
- 2:00 PM: Developing Software and AI for DOD applications panel
- 3:00 PM: Scaling Software and AI for DOD applications
- 4:00 PM: Reception
A recording of the session is available on CSET’s website. The event included live closed captioning, and accommodation requests were accepted via email at cset@georgetown.edu.
