DoD Mulls Expedited Acquisition Process for AI Tech

The Department of Defense is considering creating a dedicated acquisition pathway for artificial intelligence (AI) to streamline and expedite AI capabilities for military personnel. Federal News Network reports that Young Bang, the principal deputy assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics, and technology, highlighted the need for a faster acquisition process specifically for AI.

“As fast as the software pathway is, we need a faster path for algorithms,” Bang said, underscoring that the current pathway isn’t well-suited for AI’s rapid development cycles.

The DoD originally created six acquisition pathways, including one specifically for software, to accelerate the development and delivery of technology across the military. However, the software pathway, which requires programs to deliver a minimum viable capability release (MVCR) within one year, has not been fully adopted across the Army. According to Bang, only 19 out of the Army’s nearly 537 programs use this pathway, suggesting room for improvement.

Bang argued that, in the context of AI, the one-year timeline is overly restrictive: “If you think about what a minimal viable capability release is, it takes a year to get there,” he said. “I can train algorithms literally overnight.”

For AI, he explained, timelines as short as a week could be feasible, which stands in stark contrast to the current requirements.

To address these challenges, the Army is exploring a modified acquisition pathway by potentially combining the Middle Tier of Acquisition with the existing software pathway. This approach could allow for even faster development cycles tailored to AI’s unique needs.

“We’re experimenting and feeding and working with [the Office of the Secretary of Defense] to figure out a subpath that will be the only one right now,” Bang said.

Acting Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment Deborah Rosenblum also expressed support for the idea, recognizing the need for flexibility in the software pathway. She acknowledged that the software pathway’s current structure offers enough adaptability to potentially accommodate AI-specific requirements, particularly given the priority placed on rapid development.

The proposed adjustment underscores a growing recognition within the DoD that AI development necessitates an accelerated and agile acquisition process. By establishing a specialized AI pathway, the Army aims to deliver advanced AI-driven capabilities to soldiers more swiftly, ensuring that they remain equipped with the latest technology on the battlefield. That would likely include the acquisition of more sophisticated, AI-driven biometric technologies such as facial recognition, as such systems continue to advance.

The Army recently awarded a $1.9 million contract to Parsons Corporation to upgrade its biometric data collection capabilities.

Source: Federal News Network

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October 11, 2024 – by the ID Tech Editorial Team