Defense AI Technology: Worlds Apart From Commercial AI
By: Brooks McKinney, APR
Artificial intelligence (AI) is all around us. If you own a smartphone, use navigational software or shop online, you are familiar with AI technology — whether you know it or not. Digital assistants (think Alexa or Siri), chatbots and auto-correcting software are all based on computer algorithms that use your online behavior to continuously refine their models of your personal interests, shopping habits and lifestyle choices. Their well-informed "suggestions" are designed to coax you to buy additional related commercial products and services.
But in the world of aerospace and defense, AI technologies — and their underlying rules of engagement — have some important differences.
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AI Recommendations Combine with Human Decision Making
In aerospace and defense, AI technology can aid warfighter decision-making in several ways.
"AI can be as simple as what we call a recommender system," said Desai. "It might suggest to a pilot that the weather looks too cloudy and that he should not fly. Or it might advise a warfighter on what action he or she should take next."
She refers to these systems as "man on the loop" systems.
"They don't necessarily take over and perform the action for you," she said. "The human remains the ultimate decision-maker."
