Valerie Browning, director of Defense Sciences Office at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, said DARPA will continue building smarter artificial intelligence-based tools to improve man-machine teaming across the Pentagon, Nextgov reported Friday. DARPA has launched the AI Next and AI Exploration campaigns to build technologies with human-like communication, logical reasoning and accelerate the application of machine learning in the field.
Under AI Next, the agency seeks to automate scientific processes, create computers with common sense, study tech implications of insect brains and link military systems to the human body.Â
“The grand vision for the AI Next campaign is to take machines and move them from being tools but really to be trusted, collaborative partners,†Browning told Nextgov.Â
The official added that DARPA may find new applications for the technology into military operations within months of the AI Exploration program, which provides rapid funding for high-risk, high-reward efforts to develop AI tools. Browning also said the Trump administration’s $2 billion commitment for AI programs over the next five years is helping fund DARPA’s tech efforts.Â
“The funding level that has been allocated for that is allowing for us to roll out programs at an appropriate rate for the community to respond,†she said.
