An Overview of AI and How the Department of Defense and the US Military are Using It
Videos courtesy of the venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz
Morning y’all!
It’s Wednesday and I’ve been spending a lot of my time looking at (technology) industries that I don’t usually review and I wanted to share a few (video) resources that might be of interest. Namely, the military.
Now, if this isn’t of any interest then feel free to review some of the posts in the archives that you’ve missed and have a great rest of your day! For me, understanding how large (groups) of organizations literally weaponize artificial intelligence tools, systems, and thinking is important because it expands my horizon of what is possible with the tech as well as product ideas, whether it’s for the military directly or for some other commercial interest.
Never stop learning! Have a great rest of your day.
※\(^o^)/※
— Summer
a16z, a very well-known venture capital business put out a handful of videos directly related to the military and I spent time walking through them yesterday as they give a wholistic perspective of what’s going on and what the United States is doing to harness these new opportunities.
I’ll admit that I’m not a fan of the entire military industrial complex which Dwight Eisenhower warned us against but the fact is that it is very much alive and well:
In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military industrial complex.
The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist. We must never let the weight of this combination endager our liberties or democratic processes.
We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and library may proper together.
I don’t think many folks listened, at least those in power. But, I can’t change history, only learn from it. Here are the videos with some notes.
The first video, not about the military, is a fun start to remember that most of what we’re doing here in this new industry is exciting. Some very good high-level captures but touches on policy makers which extends to the military implicitly.
Martin Casado enthusiastically discusses the transformative potential of recent advancements in AI, specifically large language models and foundation models. They explain how these models have made significant breakthroughs in areas like creativity, natural language processing, and problem-solving, at a fraction of the cost and time compared to human efforts.
The speaker argues that this economic dislocation, similar to previous revolutions like the microchip and internet, will drive a new wave of innovative companies and potentially lead to economically viable artificial general intelligence. The talk invites collaboration between venture capitalists, the tech community, and policymakers to capitalize on these promising developments.
This of course moves on to money and it’s role within large government bodies:
Kathleen Hicks, the Dep. Secretary of Defense, recounts the intertwined histories of the US defense sector and Silicon Valley's technological innovations, emphasizing their symbiotic relationship. It highlights the pivotal role of government agencies like NASA, DARPA, and the Pentagon in fostering groundbreaking advancements through funding and partnerships.
She underscores the urgency for the Department of Defense to accelerate innovation, streamline processes, and actively collaborate with the private sector to outpace adversaries like China. Ultimately, the speech rallies for preserving American dynamism and democracy as intrinsically linked forces that enable technological progress while upholding democratic values and institutions.
There are clear “threat” vectors that the US believe should be understood, namely China as Hicks shares. I don’t think they are the only ones but China is being called out quite a bit by a lot of folks.
Brian Schimpf, CEO of Anduril Industries, shares his insights on the evolving defense industry landscape. He discusses the increased acceptance of new entrants and startups within the Department of Defense, highlighting Anduril's work on the Air Force's Loyal Wingman project involving autonomous fighter jets.
Schimpf emphasizes the importance of addressing critical warfighter needs with urgency, focusing on rapidly developing technologies to counter emerging threats like drones. He stresses the need for faster adoption of commercial innovations and advanced manufacturing approaches to scale production quickly. Schimpf advises aspiring defense tech companies to prioritize solving urgent problems that can meaningfully impact the DoD.
There’s no question that the DoD is using and acquiring commercial technology. What’s interesting to me, as I’ve shared before, is how some of the innovations may come back into commercial use.
This dialogue addresses the tragic loss of three US service members and the importance of advancing counter-drone technologies. It highlights the United States' focus on counter-UAS efforts, the necessity for rapid technological innovation, particularly in software, and the challenges posed by budget constraints.
The conversation also delves into the 2024 budget's role in procurement and innovation, the evolving defense industrial base, and the significance of private investment in defense. Furthermore, it explores the cooperation between Silicon Valley and the Pentagon, emphasizing AI and autonomous systems' responsible development and deployment.
Lessons from Ukraine's conflict and the ongoing effort to reform the Department of Defense's acquisition process are discussed, underscoring the critical nature of agility and innovation in maintaining national security.
Using AI to save lives instead of take them is of importance to me since the latter is a much better use, at least from my simple take.
In this thought-provoking discussion, Congressmen Mike Gallagher and Jake Auchincloss delve into the multifaceted China threat, encompassing technological competition, economic decoupling, military deterrence, and ideological warfare.
They highlight the urgency of strengthening American competitiveness through strategic investments, immigration reform, and deepening ties with allies. The conversation underscores the necessity of a robust approach to counter China's authoritarian influence while upholding democratic values and fostering American dynamism.
These are just some of the top-layers of research that I’ve begun and as I find more specific topics that are interesting I’ll share them with you. Hopefully this isn’t a downer and much more of an interesting look into what the military thinks and is planning on doing about the advent of AI.
Have a good one folks!
— Summer
