The JAIC Launches DoD AI Enterprise Infrastructure and Cybersecurity Subcommittee

As the focal point for the Department of Defense’s Artificial Intelligence strategy, the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center is also charged with leading in AI ethics, safety, policy, and governance for the development and delivery of AI capabilities.

Through thought leadership, critical guidance, and process development, the JAIC is helping DoD partners and Combatant Commands scale and speed AI development and delivery. This is a massive undertaking that is making progress through teamwork and unity of effort.

The JAIC recently launched the DoD AI Enterprise Infrastructure and Cybersecurity Subcommittee, which is responsible for creating the guidance, standards, and processes needed to help the DoD fully develop an enterprise-wide Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning platform.

This AI/ML platform will be rapidly adaptable and secure. It will also support the development of AI-enabled capabilities and the democratization of data at scale—the end goal being enterprise-wide access to AI tools and data for DoD stakeholders.

In 2019, the JAIC began its plans to establish the Joint Common Foundation. The launch of the DoD AI Enterprise Infrastructure and Cybersecurity Subcommittee is critical because it brings together a wealth of DoD expertise and technical knowledge that can be shared with JAIC developers and engineers as they build the JCF platform.

The JCF is designed to break down barriers to entry and speed the delivery of AI capabilities by providing a ready-to-use, fully authorized AI development platform. What makes the JCF different from other platforms is its secure, distributed AI ecosystem that will enable collaboration with the best AI minds in the DoD, industry, and academia.

Col. Sang D. Han, the JCF’s Chief of Infrastructure, and Don Bitner, the JCF’s Strategy Branch Chief, hosted the new subcommittee’s kick-off. Attendees included representatives from the JAIC, Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, DoD Chief Information Officer, Joint Staff, Combatant Commands, Military Services, and infrastructure organizations within DoD field activities.

“This subcommittee really gives us the opportunity to bring everyone to the table early on, from conception to completion. Their insights, questions, and diverse experiences will help the JAIC build a JCF that’s not just secure and agile but one that also scales AI’s impact across the DoD,” said Han.

The JAIC team provided attendees with details on the JCF’s roadmap to completion, its Development, Security, and Operations strategy, and the JCF environment, as well as updates on the JAIC’s data governance process.

“The idea here is to ensure that we all have a working knowledge of the DoD AI Ecosystem, JCF, DevSecOps, data governance, and this emerging concept of AI/ML products based on DevSecOps principles (AI Ops for short),” said Bitner. “A community understanding will help the DoD and JAIC drive processes, tools, and environments to create the JCF and deliver AI/ML-enabled software to the Department, while lowering the barrier to entry for commercial and emerging toolsets.”

He concluded: “We want to position the DoD to be the exemplar in moving impactful AI/ML into warfighter and supporting missions. That’s our vision.”