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CDAO Solicits Information on Generative AI
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CDAO Solicits Information on Generative AI

The Department of Defense’s Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office has started soliciting information as it seeks to explore the benefits and risks of developing, acquiring and integrating generative AI tools in partnership with academic and industry stakeholders.

DOD’s newly formed Task Force Lima is leading the effort by evaluating and advancing the use of generative AI capabilities across the department in support of national security missions, according to a call for information published Wednesday.

CDAO is asking industry stakeholders whether their organizations have a framework for classifying and understanding the range of large language model-related threats and vulnerabilities and if they have novel methods to mitigate or detect threats posed by LLM vulnerabilities to users.

Respondents can also provide information on whether their organizations have original measures for assuring privacy, accuracy and robustness of pre-trained models used for internal purposes and approaches for integrating LLM output into existing workflows that involve human assessment and judgment.

Responses to the call for information are due Oct. 9.

Trusted AI and Autonomy Forum

Listen to public sector leaders and technology experts as they talk about the opportunities and risks associated with generative AI and related tools at ExecutiveBiz’s Trusted Artificial Intelligence and Autonomy Forum on Sept. 12. Register here.

DOD IG Office to Review Valuation of Assets Used in Ukraine Aid; Robert Storch Quoted
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DOD IG Office to Review Valuation of Assets Used in Ukraine Aid; Robert Storch Quoted

The Department of Defense Office of Inspector General will begin auditing the valuation of equipment and other assets used to support Ukraine during its war with Russia.

This month’s Audit of the Valuation of Assets Provided Under Presidential Drawdown Authority to Ukraine aims to investigate policy compliance among DOD components involved in estimating and updating the value of such items, DOD IG Robert Storch said Wednesday.

The review follows DOD’s press statements in March and June, disclosing that equipment sent to Ukraine were overvalued by $2.6 billion in fiscal year 2022 and $3.6 billion in FY 2023. The agency attributed the discrepancy to the interchanging use of the term “replacement cost” with “net book value” in the estimation process.

The audits will be conducted at the following DOD divisions:

  • Assistant Secretary of the Air Force, Financial Management and Comptroller
  • Defense Security Cooperation Agency
  • Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology)
  • Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Financial Management and Comptroller
  • Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Financial Management and Comptroller
  • Office of the Undersecretary of Defense (Comptroller)/Chief Financial Officer
  • U.S. Marine Corps Financial Operations

“The DoD OIG has concerns that the DoD’s valuation policy for equipment, munitions, and inventory provided under PDA is not being consistently applied,” Storch explained. “The use of PDA has rapidly expanded to support Ukraine, from $100 million to $14.5 billion per fiscal year. DoD policy must comply with Federal laws and regulations, and it is important that it be consistently applied across the DoD.”

Storch added that the audit could also inform the government’s approach regarding the use of PDA for other allies moving forward.

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Space Force Reveals New Guardian-Developed Mission Statement; Chance Saltzman Quoted
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Space Force Reveals New Guardian-Developed Mission Statement; Chance Saltzman Quoted

The U.S. Space Force has adopted a new mission statement designed to better represent the role of Guardians in military operations.

The statement – “secure our Nation’s interests in, from and to space” – was created using suggestions and feedback from individual Guardians and teams, the Space Force announced on Thursday.

“We did not hire a corporate marketing team to develop a catch phrase. Nor did generals sit around a table in the Pentagon debating what the statement should be,” said Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman, a 2023 Wash100 Award winner.

Using a “Guardian-driven process,” Saltzman requested input from members of the service branch and collected 135 responses within two weeks of the May announcement. In July, officer, enlisted and civilian Guardians from across four field commands and major commands came together to offer feedback and rework the statement in a series of eight focus groups.

“Our mission statement is a call to action that concisely encapsulates our purpose and identity as Guardians and members of the profession of arms,” said Saltzman.

Each segment of the statement was selected to highlight an element of the Space Force mission.

The use of “secure” in the statement represents the Space Force’s initial purpose to contest and, if necessary, control the space domain for the U.S. “Our Nation’s interests” references Guardians’ goal to secure space and harness the benefits it can bring to American life.

Three core functions of the Space Force — superiority efforts in the domain, global mission operations enabled by space-based technology and space access assurance — are reflected in the “in, from and to space” portion of the statement.

Army’s Main Battle Tank Modernization Program Changes Course
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Army’s Main Battle Tank Modernization Program Changes Course

The U.S. Army has decided to scrap its current Abrams main battle tank modernization program and embark on another initiative to increase the vehicle’s mobility and survivability against future threats on the battlefield.

Work on version 4 of the M1A2 System Enhancement Package will end to give way to M1E3 Abrams development as part of the Army’s strategy to confront battlefield threats in 2040 and beyond, the service branch said Wednesday.

M1E3 Abrams will include some M1A2 SEPv4 features and comply with modular open systems architecture standards to enable faster technology upgrades in the future.

According to the Army, the new modernization program will provide reduced sustainment and logistical footprint, enhancing the maneuverability of armored brigade combat teams in conflicts.

“The Abrams Tank can no longer grow its capabilities without adding weight, and we need to reduce its logistical footprint,” said Maj. Gen. Glenn Dean, program executive officer for ground combat systems. 

The branch will produce the M1A2 SEPv3 at a reduced rate until it transitions the M1E3 Abrams into production.

AFRL’s Digital Security Enterprise Software Streamlines Data for Tracking Personnel With Security Clearances
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AFRL’s Digital Security Enterprise Software Streamlines Data for Tracking Personnel With Security Clearances

A digital security enterprise platform developed by the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory is showing promise as a primary tool in streamlining data consolidation and processing while safeguarding classified information for the United States Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa.

AFRL reported Tuesday that the software known as the Security Enterprise Communication and User Reporting Environment helped the command accurately track foreign travel and contacts to ensure that employees with security clearances were in compliance with reporting requirements.

The system follows the Director of National Intelligence’s Security Agent Directive on reporting requirements for employees who hold a sensitive position or have access to classified data. Users at all levels can input data from multiple systems into SECURE, where they are all consolidated to achieve an enterprise risk picture.

After the pilot at USAFE-AFAFRICA, the service branch intends to test two more SECURE modules early next year to maximize its potential as an alternative to manual processing of personnel monitoring.

Army’s Voluntary Education & Training Portal Achieves Full Deployment
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Army’s Voluntary Education & Training Portal Achieves Full Deployment

The U.S. Army’s soldier tuition and credentialing assistance portal has been fully deployed across the service branch to enable service members and Army civilians to request financial assistance for learning courses.

The Army Program Executive Office Enterprise Information Systems and the Army Credentialing and Continuing Education Services for Soldiers announced the full deployment of ArmyIgnitED a year after the Army completed the first phase of the portal’s rollout, PEO EIS said Tuesday.

The milestone follows the implementation of ArmyIgnitED’s interface with the General Fund Enterprise Business System to automate payment processing and launching of functionality for Army civilian professional development.

Additional enhancements will be added to the tuition assistance portal including an interface with the Integrated Personnel and Pay System-Army to enable rapid data access and timely responses to applications.

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NIST, IARPA Host Challenge to Detect Trojan Attacks Against AI Systems
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NIST, IARPA Host Challenge to Detect Trojan Attacks Against AI Systems

The National Institute of Standards and Technology and the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity are collaborating on a competition to prevent malicious actors from manipulating data used to train artificial intelligence systems.

Participants in the TrojAI program will conduct research and develop technologies designed to detect Trojan malware attacks in completed AI systems, NIST said Tuesday.

The detection systems must be able to identify and track Trojans hidden in language models and other types of AI systems for the competition.

NIST will evaluate the Trojan detectors after each round and share the results with IARPA to help understand and detect malicious attacks against AI in the future.

The competition is open to anyone capable of building a Trojan detector for AI.

NavalX Highlights Adaptation, Evolution in New Redesigned Website
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NavalX Highlights Adaptation, Evolution in New Redesigned Website

The Navy’s innovation arm has launched its redesigned website USNavalX.com to streamline how users access information via simplified navigation and to reflect its ability to adapt.

“Because at NavalX, adaptation is in our DNA. It is the driving force behind our agile approach — and the solutions we seek and deliver to the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. We know the best ideas, systems and strategies thrive from evolution and revolution,” its LinkedIn post reads.

Through evolution and with a focus on naval enterprise approach, NavalX is reportedly working to improve its support to the service branches amid rapid technological advancements and changing threats.

Its mission is to drive accelerated development and deployment of technologies relevant to addressing fleet challenges. 

The organization also aims to optimize processes to enable nontraditionals to work with it more easily and bring in new technologies from industry for a more diversified defense industrial base.

Purdue University, Naval Surface Warfare Center Strengthen Ties With New Microelectronics Initiative
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Purdue University, Naval Surface Warfare Center Strengthen Ties With New Microelectronics Initiative

Purdue University expanded its partnership with the Naval Surface Warfare Center to advance research and development efforts for defense microelectronics.

Their new initiative, dubbed Purdue@Crane, involves the Purdue Applied Research Institute, Purdue Research Foundation and NSWC Crane Division in Indiana, the university announced Tuesday.

Purdue@Crane will initially collaborate with NHanced Semiconductors and Everspin Technologies to foster innovation in secure, reliable and trusted microelectronics, as well as hypersonics and energetic materials. The initiative will begin with an annual budget of $2 million, with funding expected to reach $40 million as it continues to engage with more local companies until 2030.

Everspin President and CEO Sanjeev Aggarwal said the company is “excited to collaborate with Purdue University on the next generation of [magnetoresistive random-access memory] use cases related to artificial intelligence and high-density memory applications.”

The new endeavor is relevant to NSWC Crane’s Scalable Asymmetric Lifecycle Engagement microelectronics workforce development program. The SCALE project recently received a $19 million investment from the Department of Defense, $3.8 million of which is earmarked for Purdue.

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Bailey DeVries: SBA Ramping Up Efforts to Help Startups Advance AI Research
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Bailey DeVries: SBA Ramping Up Efforts to Help Startups Advance AI Research

Bailey DeVries, director of the Office of Investment and Innovation at the Small Business Administration, said SBA is advancing efforts to provide funding support to small companies that are conducting research in the field of artificial intelligence as part of the agency’s “customer-centric” transformation initiative, Federal News Network reported Tuesday.

“There is a big buildout in the agency to have a more customer-centric view and more customer-centric support. That means connecting the dots broadly across programs,” DeVries said during a webinar.

“That requires a lot of funding, and that’s a different world than we’ve operated in the past – and one that will create many efficiencies if we’re able to invest in those improvements and enhancements for the agency,” she added.

DeVries stated that SBA’s efforts to advance funding in AI research builds on the current administration’s focus on ensuring trust and pursuing responsible development of AI tools.

She noted that SBA and the Small Business Digital Alliance introduced a public-private partnership linking tech companies like Microsoft, Google and Meta with small firms focused on adopting AI technologies.

“Some of these companies are going to be focused on very discrete issues, very discrete markets. Some are going to be looking at broader opportunities and applications,” DeVries said.

In March, SBA and the Department of Defense unveiled the Small Business Investment Company Critical Technologies Initiative, which seeks to bolster investments in AI and other emerging technologies.

Trusted AI and Autonomy Forum

Listen to public sector leaders and technology experts weigh in on the opportunities and risks associated with generative AI and related tools at ExecutiveBiz’s Trusted Artificial Intelligence and Autonomy Forum on Sept. 12. Register here.

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