The Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) will soon issue an AI strategy as talent development poses one of the top challenges for DIA and organizations across the Department of Defense (DoD).
DIA Director Scott Berrier is expected to sign the DIA’s strategy soon, said Ramesh Menon, the agency’s chief technology officer, during the annual Department of Defense Intelligence Information System conference.
Menon said that DIA had put together a panel to lead the strategy development last year. The goals are based on the recommendations of the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence. NSCAI had recommended the DoD and the entire intelligence community to be AI-ready by 2025.
The strategy will also touch on platforms, tools, ethics, explainable AI, and international partnerships. However, the most pressing challenge facing DIA’s plans is likely the talent gaps, according to Menon. “We need the talent. He said that we have to train and upskill our staff to have the digital skills necessary to support us,” he said.
DIA is also looking to partner with other organizations to create “AI labs” for training and education. The agency has already worked with the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency’s Moonshot Lab to conduct joint hackathons and an AI hackathon with Joint Special Operations Command.
