DoD Official Highlights Need for AI in Future Warfare

By Air Force Tech. Sgt. Chuck Broadway, DoD News, Defense Media Activity WASHINGTON, April 9, 2018 —

Mining the advantages of artificial intelligence is in the best interest of national security, a senior Pentagon official said today at the New America Future of War Conference here.

Air Force Staff Sgt. Ashlie Robledo and Air Force Senior Airman Thao Bui, 11th Special Operations Intelligence Squadron analysts, participate in a data-tagging training event at Hurlburt Field, Fla., Aug, 24, 2017. Data-tagging is an artificial intelligence effort designed to assist them with analyzing imagery. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Lynette M. Rolen

Michael D. Griffin, undersecretary of defense for research and engineering, spoke about the involvement in artificial intelligence in the future of warfare.

The conference was part of the Future of War project between New America and Arizona State University, which brought together leaders from the Defense Department, academia, journalism and private industry to explore issues concerning international security and defense.

While conventional warfare remains an integral part of national defense, Griffin said, there is room to expand defense strategy, and adding artificial intelligence to that strategy is vital.

“We can’t lose sight of the fact that there are many dimensions of national security,” he said. “We have to add a new one without losing any others. This is a discipline that we have to add on.”

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