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Defence and Industry must work together to exploit AI for the strategic advantage of our Armed Forces
Shield Reply stood shoulder to shoulder with their partners Oracle and NVIDIA at the Defence Artificial Intelligence Centre (DAIC) Connect event to demonstrate their latest secure Large Language Model (LLM) and Artificial Intelligence AI) capabilities.
Attending events such as this one, organised by the Chief Disruptor team in collaboration with the DAIC, is always enlightening as it provides the opportunity for the industry peers to listen to great insight and speeches from distinguished and experienced guests, which this time included Paul Lincoln CB OBE VR, 2nd Second Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Defence (MOD), Lt Gen Sir Tom Copinger-Symes KCB CBE, Deputy Commander UK Strategic Command; and Charle Forte, Chief Information Officer, MOD.
Shield recognised the following themes:
- AI is a tool that will make us better, it will not replace the human resources required and can make us and many processes more effective.
- In a changing global geopolitical situation, digital and data are the common threads that can add increased rapidity, repeatability, volume, and delivery of precision effect for Defence. This theme positions UK Defence as a ‘software defined’ enterprise.
- We need to accelerate the delivery of this intention and build stronger partnerships with the best and the brightest in Industry and Academia to better incorporate the digital themes that underpin our wider economy.
- It is clear to us that Defence and Industry must work together to harness AI to the strategic advantage of our Armed Forces.
- An interesting quote from the charismatic Lt Gen Sir Tom Copinger-Symes KCB CBE, was that the pace of change should be embraced, not feared. Tanks and armoured vehicles will still be here in the future, as will the horses that the cavalry feared they would replace them! We will not throw away what makes us unique, or what is valued, we will augment it.
In addition to the various keynote speeches and panel sessions, there were numerous breakout sessions focused on addressing specific Defence related AI issues. In particular, Shield’s discussions focused on collaboration with the Army’s Land Systems Reference Centre (LSRC), where six critical questions were explored. This engagement enhanced Shield’s strategic approach to integrating our AI solutions in Defence, and we derived the following key takeaways:
Industry provides components of this ecosystem; how well are the impediments to data, implementation and data flows understood?
Modern data and software is readily available; how do we rapidly introduce it into our baseline and manage the transition?
These are key to integration and interoperability, but implementation has so far failed to meet Defence’s aspirations to date - Why?
These evolve at a rapid pace, Military standards have a different lifecycle. What is the best approach for Al technology adoption and innovation that takes account of security and cyber concerns?
Modern Technologies can provide a software and data centric approach that enables Al adoption. What are the key components for Al adoption and maintaining competitive advantage?
Proof Of Concepts (POCs)
How should prototyping and experimentation lead to rapid acquisition and operational exploitation.
The number of companies in attendance at the DIAC Connect event clearly demonstrated that Industry is willing to lean in and support the UK MOD in ways we have not seen before. The keynote speakers and panellist discussions led by MOD experts clearly demonstrated that Defence are reciprocating that approach. As such Shield is eager to engage further with Defence and Industry leaders on the future of AI in Defence. Alongside Oracle and NVIDIA, we are currently demonstrating how Roving Edge Devices (RED) extend full Cloud capabilities to push full compute into the tactical space, enabling AI-powered decision-making in disrupted, disconnected, intermittent, and low-bandwidth environments at Edge.
If you would like to explore how AI can drive real operational advantage securely using the capabilities of Oracle Database 23ai and Oracle Autonomous Database, including key features such as AI Vector Search, Select AI, and APEX Assistant, and you wish to discuss these topics further, please get in touch with the Shield Reply Partners, Oliver and Jim, at o.houseman@shieldreply.com, and j.mulholland@shieldreply.com respectively.