Last week, “the Department of Defense (DoD) announced the establishment of a generative artificial intelligence (AI) task force, an initiative that reflects the DoD’s commitment to harnessing the power of artificial intelligence in a responsible and strategic manner.
Deputy Secretary of Defense Dr. Kathleen Hicks directed the organization of Task Force Lima; it will play a pivotal role in analyzing and integrating generative AI tools, such as large language models (LLMs), across the DoD.
Led by the Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office (CDAO), Task Force Lima will assess, synchronize, and employ generative AI capabilities across the DoD, ensuring the Department remains at the forefront of cutting-edge technologies while safeguarding national security.’
The CDAO became operational in June 2022 and is dedicated to integrating and optimizing artificial intelligence capabilities across the DoD. The office is responsible for accelerating the DoD’s adoption of data, analytics, and AI, enabling the Department’s digital infrastructure and policy adoption to deliver scalable AI-driven solutions for enterprise and joint use cases, safeguarding the nation against current and emerging threats. (1)
What Next?
The standing up of Project Lima is based on a:
MEMORANDUM FOR SENIOR PENTAGON LEADERSHIP
AUG 10 2023
- COMMANDERS OF THE COMBATANT COMMANDS
- DEFENSE AGENCY AND DOD FIELD ACTIVITY DIRECTORS
SUBJECT: Establishment of Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Officer Generative Artificial Intelligence and Large Language Models Task Force, Task Force Lima
“The CDAO, through its Algorithmic Warfare Directorate, will chair Task Force Lima in close collaboration with other Principal Staff Assistants that maintain key roles and responsibilities in AI adoption across the Department. This includes the Offices of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy (OUSD(P)), the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (OUSD(R&E)), the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment (OUSD(A&S)), the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security (OUSD(I&S)), and the DoD Chief Information Officer (DoD CIO). Key roles and responsibilities include but are not limited to:
- USD(P) is responsible for national security, defense strategy and policy, bilateral, multilateral, and interagency engagement;
- USD(R&E) is responsible for technology and innovation strategy and research through prototyping; and
- USD(A&S) is responsible for oversight of acquisition strategies, industry engagement, and coordination of major technology sharing agreements;
- USD(I&S) is responsible for intelligence, counterintelligence, security and sensitive
activities; and - CIO is responsible for the DoD information enterprise to include communications,
information systems, cybersecurity, and command and control.
The Task Force’s lessons learned will be provided to the Responsible AI (RAI) Working Council, where all OSD and DoD Components will leverage shared learning to inform their initiatives and policy developments. DoD activities related to generative AI will be coordinated and synchronized via the RAI Working Council and raised through the CDAO Council to the
Deputy’s Management Action Group as appropriate. To advance a unified approach to responsible adoption and use of this technology, Task Force Lima will provide the framework and initiative for DoD to:
- Accelerate promising generative AI initiatives and joint solutions;
- Federate disparate developmental and research efforts into a DoD community of practice to accelerate innovation and implementation;
- Evaluate solutions across Doctrine, Organization, Training, Materiel, Leadership, Personnel, Facilities, and Policy;
- Drive education and build a culture of responsible implementation and use; and
Ensure coordinated DoD engagement with interagency, international, educational, civil society, and industry partners regarding responsible development and use of generative AI.” (2)
For more information about Task Force Lima, please visit the CDAO website at ai.mil. You can also connect with the CDAO on LinkedIn (@ DoD Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office) and Twitter (@dodcdao).
For the announcement of Project Lima, go to: DOD Announces Establishment of Generative AI Task Force
For the DoD Memorandum, go to Establishment of Task Force Lima
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