Summer Myatt
Artificial intelligence is making waves across multiple industries. As AI technology develops, its power is being unleashed, and it’s illuminating a new world of possibilities, capabilities and innovation for the United States military in particular.
But like any nascent technology, AI can also be unpredictable and its ripple effects may be yet unknown. In order to protect government and military systems, personnel, networks and critical data from potential risks, the U.S. Army is looking at new ways to regulate AI while still fostering its development.
Young Bang, principal deputy assistant secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology, said the service branch is considering implementing AI bills of materials, or AI BOMs to better secure the supply chain — an area of growing importance in the increasingly tense era of peer and near-peer competition for technological dominance.
Hear Young Bang speak on this and other timely topics during the Army Acquisition Priorities: Balancing Readiness and Modernization Forum hosted by ExecutiveBiz on Oct. 18. Register here for your chance to meet Young Bang at this intimate breakfast event full of networking, Q&A sessions and other business-building opportunities.
“We’ve been driving and pushing software BOMs and data BOMs. We’re toying with the notion of an AI BOM. … Just like we’re securing our supply chain, with semiconductors, components, sub components, we’re also thinking about that from a digital perspective,” said Bang.
“It’s really about how do we manage the cyber risks and the vulnerabilities,” he added. “And so, we’re thinking about how do we work with industry, as AI BOMs are a little bit trickier. And obviously data is a driver for both software and AI. But the AI side becomes a little bit different, because arguably, depending on what you request, you have the ingredients to potentially backward engineer their algorithm. And so we don’t want to pinch on their IP.”
Other Army leaders like William Nelson, deputy assistant secretary of the Army for research and technology, said AI needs to start being incorporated into missions more proactively in order to uncover important insights into how emerging technologies can better support warfighters.
“We don’t necessarily have to go for the hardest use case to validate that autonomy or AI has a place on the battlefield. I think logistics is ripe for autonomous operations, both aviation-related and on the ground,” said Nelson.
If you’re interested in hearing the Army’s acquisition and procurement priorities and learn how to get involved in future opportunities, join ExecutiveBiz on Oct. 18 for the Army Acquisition Priorities: Balancing Readiness and Modernization Forum — register here.
For a broader look at the Army of the future, you won’t want to miss the Potomac Officers Club’s 8th Annual Army Summit on Aug. 1, where William Nelson, Hon. Gabe Camarillo and Hon. Doug Bush will deliver insightful keynote addresses. Register here for this summit.
