Ellen Lord, undersecretary for acquisition and sustainment at the Defense Department and a 2018 Wash100 awardee, has said that her office will train DoD procurement managers on how to buy commercial technology platforms through the nontraditional contracting process, SpaceNews reported Sunday.
She also aims to establish a policy that would help the Pentagon exercise more freedom in prototype experimentation with the use of new congressional authorities, the report noted.
Will Roper, assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition and a 2018 Wash100 recipient, said he predicts the emergence of artificial intelligence technology will challenge the department to accelerate its acquisition efforts.
“For AI we’re going to need software people that are tweaking algorithms with the users,†he told reporters.
“The pace is faster, there is quicker turnover.”
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