AI is Ready for Prime Time

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a hot buzzword being thrown around in technical as well as business circles as a way to increase the efficiency of organizations. More than just a buzzword or "next big thing," it is now official policy of the United States. This February the President issued an executive order directing federal agencies to invest more money and resources into the development of artificial intelligence technologies to ensure the U.S. keeps pace with the world in using AI (and related technology) for business, innovation, and defense.

On the heels of the executive order, the DoD outlined its AI plans which include using AI technology to improve situational awareness and decision-making, increasing the safety of operating vehicles in rapidly changing situations, implementing predictive maintenance, and streamlining business processes.

But with all of this focus and excitement around AI, there are many groups raising concerns. Paramount is the federal workforce who sees AI technology potentially taking over their work. A recent survey found that while 50 percent of workers were optimistic that AI would have a positive impact, 29 percent said they could see new technologies being implemented "without regard for how they will benefit employees' current responsibilities." Across government, technology leaders are working to ease fears, stating that technology will take on the rote, manual tasks that humans tend to dread, freeing up people to spend additional time on more strategic, meaningful work.

Another group wary of AI's broad impact are security experts who say that with new, more advanced technologies come new, more advanced threats. In an effort to get in front of these threats, DARPA has launched the Guaranteeing AI Robustness against Deception (GARD) program. This program aims to develop theories, algorithms, and testbeds to aid in the creation of ML models that will defend against a wide range of attacks.

To sort out the complex world of AI, there are a number of upcoming events that look at every angle of implementing the technology across government.

• Intelligence Analytics Summit 2019 (May 29-31, 2019; Washington, DC) -- The use of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and automation is prevalent and relevant in the Intelligence Community. The 2019 Intelligence Analytics Summit will focus on key areas within this space including Real-time Analytics, Operationalizing Big Data, Verifying and Validating Critical Masses of Information, and Leveraging Automation to Shift to Actionable Intelligence.
• AI in Government (on-demand webcast) -- Learn about the benefits of Artificial Intelligence and where it can make a large impact at your government agency. Discover how to use the power of AI to render new insights that drive operational efficiencies and transform decision making.
• AFCEA DC Innovative Technologies Summit (June 4, 2019; Washington, DC) -- The accelerating pace of technology innovation certainly has the potential to reap benefits for federal agencies, offering potential game-changers and force-multipliers for agency operations and missions. But there's a catch: agencies first need to figure out how to adopt these technologies within the parameters set by existing policies, processes, and mandates. Government and industry-led panels will take a deep-dive into the pathways for taking new technologies from the labs into operations.
• Using Artificial Intelligence to Modernize Records Management (June 5, 2019; webinar) -- Records management (RM) as a discipline has been around for many years, yet still provides challenges and frustrations for many. This introductory session will discuss how Artificial Intelligence can deliver simple yet highly effective RM tools to support agencies and highlight why some records management initiatives fail.
• Tackling Today's Big Data Challenges with GPUs (on-demand webcast) -- Redefine the limits of scale and speed to solve big data challenges. Speakters discuss how Graphic Processing Unit (GPU) accelerated analytics solve data analytic challenges and enable agencies to combine visual analytics, geo-visualization and more.
• AI World Government (June 24-26, 2019; Washington, DC) -- This event is designed to educate public sector agencies on the strategic and tactical benefits of deploying AI and cognitive technologies. The event also includes a special program on AI Governance, Big Data and Ethics.
• ODSC West (October 29-November 1, 2019; San Francisco, CA) -- The Open Data Science Conference gathers attendees, presenters, and companies that are working on shaping the present and future of artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and data science.

Let us know where you are learning about AI. Share your favorite events in the comments.