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DOD Plans For Responsible Artificial Intelligence
by DoD News
June 12, 2021
From the battlefield to the back office, artificial intelligence
has the potential to transform how the Defense Department does
business in areas like increasing the speed of decision making,
making sense of complex data sets and improving efficiency in
back-office operations. Ensuring that AI is developed, procured and
used responsibly and ethically is a top priority for the
department's top leader.
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U.S. Marines with Marine Corps Forces Cyberspace Command observe computer operations in the cyber operations center at Fort Meade, MD on February 5, 2020. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Staff Sgt. Jacob Osborne.)
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"As the Department of Defense embraces
artificial intelligence, it is imperative that we adopt responsible
behavior, processes and outcomes in a manner that reflects the
department's commitment to its core set of ethical principles,"
Deputy Secretary of Defense Dr. Kathleen Hicks wrote in a
department-wide memorandum released last week.
As part of
that commitment to responsible artificial intelligence, or RAI, the
memorandum sets forth foundational tenets for implementation across
the department including a governance structure and processes to
provide oversight and accountability; warfighter trust to ensure
fidelity in the AI capability and its use, a systems engineering and
risk management approach to implementation in the AI product and
acquisition lifecycle; a robust ecosystem to ensure collaboration
across government, academia, industry, and allies and build an
AI-ready workforce.
The memorandum also spelled out how the Joint
Artificial Intelligence Center will serve as the lead to coordinate
the implementation and oversight of the department's RAI efforts.
Hicks also reaffirmed
the Defense Department's AI Ethical Principles adopted in February
2020. The DOD was the first military in the world to do so. That
commitment involved the adoption of five principles for the ethical
development of artificial intelligence capabilities.
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The U.S. Defense Department officially adopted five
principles for ethical artificial intelligence. (U.S.
Department of Defense graphic, February 25, 2020)
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Those principles include:
Responsible: DOD personnel will exercise appropriate levels of
judgment and care while remaining responsible for the development,
deployment and use of AI capabilities.
Equitable: The
department will take deliberate steps to minimize unintended bias in
AI capabilities.
Traceable: The department's AI capabilities
will be developed and deployed such that relevant personnel possess
an appropriate understanding of the technology, development
processes and operational methods applicable to AI capabilities,
including transparent and auditable methodologies, data sources and
design procedures and documentation.
Reliable: The
department's AI capabilities will have explicit, well-defined uses,
and the safety, security and effectiveness of such capabilities will
be subject to testing and assurance within those defined uses across
their entire life cycles.
Governable: The department will
design and engineer AI capabilities to fulfill their intended
functions while possessing the ability to detect and avoid
unintended consequences, and the ability to disengage or deactivate
deployed systems that demonstrate unintended behavior.
"Achieving RAI for the department is a collective effort that
requires strong leadership, robust governance, oversight and
sustained engagement at all levels of our organization," Hicks
wrote. "Applying RAI across a wide range of warfighting, enterprise
support and business practices is essential to ensure military
advantage, support our people and safeguard the nation."
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