U.S. General Services Administration
GSA Centers of Excellence and JAIC focus on data management to accelerate AI adoption across DoD
WASHINGTON - The U.S. General Services Administration and the U.S. Department of Defense’s Joint Artificial Intelligence Center today announced crossing milestones that leverage data as a strategic asset while advancing AI across the DoD, through the Centers of Excellence (CoE) collaboration.
In just a few short months, data has become a critical focus area for advancing AI-powered initiatives. JAIC stakeholders and CoE members participated in a series of human-centered design workshops to determine essential roles and responsibilities for managing data assets. These roles and responsibilities will shape a flexible governance framework to manage data holdings covering a broad range of mission areas, including cybersecurity, healthcare, predictive maintenance, and business automation.
"The CoE partnership with GSA is already paying dividends. This next step paves the way for the DoD to improve how we manage and leverage data as a strategic asset," said Lt. Gen. Jack Shanahan, Director of the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center. "We appreciate the CoE's commitment to creating a collaborative environment that enables solutions for broader AI governance, technology acquisition strategies, and scaling AI solutions through the Joint Common Foundation."
“The CoE model gives us an opportunity to share experience gained from industry and federal partners with the JAIC, building on the successes of organizations that have come before us,” said TTS Director Anil Cheriyan. “The AI journey is one we are taking together and it’s essential to get the fundamentals right. We are offering a pathway for agency partners to accelerate their own AI journey.”
The CoE-facilitated workshops, supported by industry best practices and lessons learned across the federal government, highlighted perspectives across functional areas within the JAIC and broader Department of Defense. By highlighting stakeholder perspectives and adopting a user-centric approach, the CoE and the JAIC have begun to shape the future of data management for accelerating the adoption of artificial intelligence initiatives. The CoE is aiding the JAIC by translating these best practices into innovative acquisition methods to deliver AI-enabling capabilities in data integration, enterprise-scale DevSecOps, and Verification, Validation, Test, and Evaluation (VVT&E).
As a result of the JAIC-CoE partnership, the JAIC is advancing the DoD AI posture by implementing governance tailored specifically to AI initiatives. This system of making rapid decisions aligns the flexibility and interoperability of an enterprise-wide Joint Common Foundation to accelerate and scale AI capabilities. Rapid, iterative decision making will also aid in baselining and measuring the effectiveness of key AI activities while operating as a leading organization in the ethical, transparent, and explainable adoption of AI in the DoD.
“In partnership together, the team has achieved significant milestones very quickly,” said CoE Executive Director Bob De Luca.“The efforts of the CoE are amplified by the JAIC’s focus on action and immense commitment to the mission, enabling us to gain momentum to scale AI within the DoD—and across the federal government. The JAIC partnership allows us to impact the American citizen, not just in defense-specific mission areas, but in broader areas, such as healthcare, cybersecurity, and humanitarian assistance.”
The Centers of Excellence, a part of GSA’s Technology Transformation Services, accelerates IT modernization at federal agencies by leveraging private sector innovation and government services while centralizing best practices and expertise for holistic transformation. TTS helps agencies make their services more accessible, efficient, and effective with modern applications, platforms, processes, personnel, and software solutions.
About GSA
The mission of the U.S. General Services Administration is to deliver value and savings in real estate, acquisition, technology, and other mission-support services across the government. One of GSA’s four strategic goals is to improve the way agencies buy, build and use technology. To learn more about GSA or the CoE visit gsa.gov or coe.gsa.gov and join the conversation on social media at @USGSA, @GSACOE, and @GSAEmily.
About JAIC
The mission of the JAIC is to accelerate the adoption and integration of AI in the Department of Defense to achieve mission impact - at scale. The JAIC serves as the focal point for the execution of the DoD's AI Strategy that supports the U.S. National Defense Strategy (2018). As the DoD center excellence for AI, the JAIC continues to attract the best and brightest people from across government, commercial industry, and academia to carry out its vision to transform the U.S. military through AI. Follow the JAIC on Twitter @DoDJAIC and view the DoD’s AI mission initiatives at www.AI.mil.