Air Force plans industry roundtables on effective uses, adoption of generative AI

The Department of the Air Force plans to lead a series of roundtables with industry and academia to discuss how and where generative artificial intelligence can be leveraged for the department’s operations.

The DAF’s Office of the Chief Information Officer and Chief Data and Artificial Intelligence Office wants to host three sessions in the coming months — one with small businesses, one with large businesses and one with the academic community. The department is inquiring about a range of topics related to generative AI, from responsible adoption of the technology to how it can train Air and Space Force personnel to use it effectively, according to a solicitation posted on Sam.gov on Wednesday.

Generative AI is a subfield of artificial intelligence that uses large language models to generate content — such as text, audio, code, images, videos and other types of media — based on prompts and data they are trained on. In the last year, the Pentagon has sought to assess and synchronize generative AI exploration and adoption across the department through its nascent Task Force Lima, which stood up in August. 

While the Air Force has embraced other types of artificial intelligence, Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall has previously said that generative AI might not be applicable for military operations. Last year, he tasked the Air Force Scientific Advisory Board to create an AI-focused group that examines the broader collection of AI technology, including large language models.

The Department of the Air Force is now considering four topic areas related to generative AI that will be the focus of the roundtables, according to the solicitation. Those include responsible generative AI; agile approaches to adopting the technology; training airmen and guardians how to use generative AI; and the overall range of generative AI’s capabilities — from everyday use to game-changing applications.

“How can we leverage [generative AI] right now to improve intelligence, operational planning, administrative, business processes, etc” the solicitation asks. “What [generative AI] will be disruptive and create new ways or new results? What metrics or success indicators should be used to evaluate the effectiveness of [generative AI] applications in these areas?”

Large companies, small businesses and academia interested in participating in the roundtables are being asked to submit answers to a list of questions under each focus area by May 2, May 9 and May 21, respectively.