A top Department of Defense procurement official for artificial intelligence has shared the Pentagon AI office’s five major goals for the rest of fiscal year 2024.
Quentin McCoy, director of procurement at the DOD’s Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office, named goals that are both expansive and focused on specific acquisition processes, MeriTalk reported Monday.
“Throughout the department, you’ll find more money and more requirements going towards AI, all things digital, all things emerging tech and so we really have to be smarter buyers and also collaborate more,” said McCoy.
The year’s most essential AI event is coming up soon. At the Potomac Officers Club’s 5th Annual AI Summit, leaders from the defense and intelligence communities will gather to converse with GovCon industry members about what they need to accomplish their objectives. Multiple representatives from CDAO will be present, including Chief Technology Officer Dr. Bill Streilein. Don’t miss out; register here now!
The CDAO’s goals are as follows:
- Operationalize the CDAO procurement office
- Accelerate delivery of AI/machine learning, digital, and data solutions through Tradewinds to expand innovation procurement offerings
- Implement and institutionalize novel contracting strategies for procurement of emerging technologies
- Prototype emerging technology solutions for acquisition business processes
- Baseline, prioritize and implement CDAO enterprise standards
(Tradewinds is the CDAO’s digital hub compiling funding opportunities, development updates and more regarding AI defense projects.)
McCoy said close collaboration with private industry underpins most, if not all of this work and that they will involve “testing across the different tools, AI tools and capabilities.”
The DOD AI procurement director went on to provide an update about Task Force Lima, an endeavor announced last year that is prioritizing responsibility when incorporating generative AI.
He said the enormous response wave from industry about the task force put the CDAO on its heels made them realize they know very little about large language models but that they’re looking forward to establishing new partnerships to bring the technology into the department.
Task Force Lima is certainly on the mind of Dr. Matthew Johnson, who is a senior technical advisor for responsible AI at the CDAO and will be speaking on a panel at the Potomac Officers Club’s upcoming AI Summit. Save a seat now!
