AI Expo for National Competitiveness
Day two of the 2024 AI Expo for National Competitiveness. Below are notes from the keynotes and Q&As of Senator Jon Tester, Secretary Frank Kendall, Gen Anthony Cotton, and Gen Timothy Haugh.
Highlights
-When asked about expectations regarding DIU’s increased budget, Sen Tester told attendees some believe the next war will be fought in space, so “bottom line,” he’d like to see DIU bring in as many innovative ideas and companies as possible with its budget increase.
-Secretary Kendall discussed how Air Force and Space Force are bringing in automation, highlighting the recent automated F16 dogfight, JADC2, and the quick start initiatives.
-Gen Cotton touched on working with Gen Whiting in the space domain and how the commanders are balancing emerging technologies with strategic deterrence.
AI Expo for National Competitiveness
08 May 2024
The Future Character of War and Cyber Operations
General Timothy D. Haugh, Commander, U.S. Cyber Command and Director, National Security Agency/Chief, Central Security Service at Fort George G. Meade
Quotes:
New Challenges & Opportunities for Innovation
-As we think about innovation, we’re first thinking about workforce. We bring a highly technical workforce with a history of innovation. They have extensive experience in AI/ML. How do we take advantage of that?
Enduring Advantage
-First, I think about our defense industrial base. We’ve invested a lot of time and energy.
-Workforce talent. We have a unique workforce that’s really our foundation. They’re highly technical and can integrate technology quickly.
CYBERCOM & NSA Using AI
-We start with liberty and privacy. We have a long history of working with AI/ML. We are first going to be thinking about protecting liberties and privacy. We’re deliberate in making sure we handle the data appropriately. Then we look at how we leverage it in cyber security.
-If we look at the environment, it’s an environment characterized by things happening simultaneously.
[End]
The Future of Air and Space Power
Frank Kendall, Secretary, USAF
Automation
-I wrote a classified book for DARPA years ago. A chapter was focused on automation. What’s happening in the air and space force is what I wrote in this book.
-We’re automating functions that we couldn’t have done before. We are relying more on automated processes, products, vehicles.
Recent F16 Dog Fight
-The aircraft was automated and it was shorter range. I got to sit in the F16 and we tried out a number of test points of agents that would take control of the airplane to see what more we could automate.
-The technology isn’t quite ready yet but we’re definitely on the right path. Again this is short range. This is the path of the future. This is where we’re going.
Concerns of Automation
-We’re going to ensure we’re in line with the rules of armed conflict. How will we apply them to machines? How do we do accountability and responsibility?
-Humans are still responsible for creating, testing, and putting machines out. We need to have accountability.
-Decision making is done based on factors both human and machines. You can turn the dials on the sensitivity of decisions. The rules say you have to limit damage. We’re seeing vivid applications of this right now in two different conflicts today.
-The US will comply with the rules of armed conflict. I can’t say the same for our adversaries and that’s the reality that our forces must face. We’re in a race for capability and we have to move fast.
Space Domain
-Space is already highly autonomous and it’s becoming even more so. Some control centers are uncrewed and the people responsible have apps to manage systems on their phone.
First Mover Advantage
-We have constellations in orbit with thousands of satellites. Difficulty in space is that assets are basically already on the battlefield and they’re visible to the other side. Both sides have the terrain under observation and can fire at any time. This creates a first mover advantage.
-We need to worry about the adversary making a lot of moves against a lot of targets simultaneously. That’s a dangerous situation. We need to be prepared.
Modernization & JADC2
-This includes both air and space. We are not moving away from human oversight. It’s happening and it’s happening quickly.
-I’m astonished at how fast things are moving forward. It’s visible. I did not anticipate ChatGPT but I do anticipate highly autonomous, lethal capability.
Operational Imperatives & CRs
-The threat isn’t standing still. Impacts of CRs… we have spent five years under CRs. We’re giving away time.
-We can do certain things with engineering to move quickly in the design process and production but there’s limits.
-Funding… I’m happy about the quick start initiative. More resilient GPS and MTI. These are both critical things and we got a head start on these thanks to Congress.
-One thing that both parties agree on is China is a threat so hopefully we can work together to move forward.
[End]
The Future Character of War and Deterrence
Gen. Anthony J. Cotton, Commander, United States Strategic Command
Current Environment
-My portfolio is strategic deterrence. I’m probably the second commander in the long history of USSTRATCOM, who has to worry about two nuclear peers. It’s more than just Russia. It’s also PRC.
-What does it mean to have a peer competitor with nuclear weapons? With the US and Russia we’ve been doing this for a long time. I hope the PRC understands what responsibility this holds.
Emerging Technology & Strategic Deterrence
-Two peers vs one. Really it’s two plus. When you think about Russia or China, think about the influences that come along as well. Iran, additional proxy elements and other relationships. Then there’s the emerging technologies that are a little different. Now you’re worrying about cyber and space domains.
-Space domain, I have to think about it even though Gen Whiting, we’re hand in hand in understanding this and strategic effects in all domains.
-How do you adapt the theory of strategic deterrence?
AI & USSTRATCOM
-There’s always going to be humans in the loop to make decisions. We need speed of relevance. How can we get things done at the speed of relevance? How can we make sure there isn’t data just hitting the floor? How do we get information where it needs to go?
-I’m not talking about taking away the ability for a commander in chief to make the decision. We’re talking about creating more decision space so commanders can make the right decisions.
[End]
The Future of Defense Innovation: A View from the US Senate
Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT), Chairman, SAC-D
Top Priorities
-I want to make sure our service members have everything they need to be the best in the world. We need to take care of them.
-In light of China’s actions, we’d be foolish to not tap into evolving technologies but the best tools don’t mean anything if we can’t pass a budget on time.
-We passed the budget six months late. We cannot buy back lost time. Whoever thinks CRs save money, they are so wrong. They only cost.
Accelerating Innovation
-We work closely with leadership to pass the replicator initiative.
-DOD has long guaranteed authority to nontraditional vendors to bridge the Valley of Death.
-We approved the start of new programs throughout the year.
-We bumped up DIU budget.
-Innovation without accountability will not get us where we need to be.
-Our goal must be to break through cultural obstacles.
DIU Budget Bump & Commercial
-I want to see…the military complex is way too consolidated. We need to bring in as many good ideas and companies as we possibly can.
-Bottom line, we need innovation. Some will tell you the next war might be fought in space. So we need companies to provide a beneficial relationship to keep this country safer.
ATO Process
-What we’ve done in the budget is give the military flexibility to speed up projects based on what they’re seeing. We’re just starting this out. It may be successful and it may not be.
-The flexibility we’re giving should allow for the “little guy” to be able to insert themselves so they can help keep this country safe.
-If the military doesn’t utilize this in a way that provides increased access for small businesses, then we need to hear from industry and we need to do something in the next budget to light a fire under this effort.
SAC-D Thoughts on Innovation
-We wouldn’t be doing what we did in the last budget if we didn’t think it was important to bring as many people to the table as we can.
-I can tell you that I have a lot of frustration with technology… example interoperability between DOD and VA, we’ve been talking about that for 20 years and billions of dollars later, we have nothing.
-If we have more people, it’s a more competitive market, we can hold those people accountable for delivering. Otherwise we’re continuing to do nothing which is something we cannot afford.
Replicator Innovative $$$ For Reprogramming
-Reprogramming dollars, I couldn’t tell you how much is available off the top of my head. We’re a long way from the caps. What I’d tell folks, if we don’t do a good job at deterrence now it’ll cost us a lot more money later.
-Part of it is on us, we don’t get the budgets done by the fiscal year.
-The situation, the pay now or pay later, it’ll cost more later and more and more the later we go.
-Budget caps, they’re in flux. I don’t have a number in mind but it has to be more than we’ve got.
[End]