JAIC CTO Underscores Importance of Data in AI

Nand Mulchandani, chief technology officer of the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center, believes that AI is the new oil and that whichever government or country gets the best datasets will emerge as the leader in AI. 

Speaking at a panel discussion at the Politico AI Summit, Mulchandani underscored the importance of establishing global partnerships to gain access to global datasets. 

According to Mulchandani, a past Potomac Officers Club event speaker, the JAIC’s global network of data partners gives the Department of Defense a natural advantage in building AI systems at scale. 

He noted, however, that while AI can be readily deployed at scale in certain applications, the U.S. has yet to incorporate the next-generation tech into weapons systems due to the interconnectedness and intricacies tied to AI explainability, testing, trust and ethics. 

For this reason, the DoD and the U.S. government have established partnerships, starting with its European partners and NATO, to develop AI ethics principles and frameworks. Currently, there are 13 different countries working on the effort, Mulchandani said.  

In order to harness the value of AI, JAIC is looking to rely on a global workforce and build relationships with leading AI companies. The DoD, Mulchandani said, has had a long history of working with companies that know how to integrate AI into existing systems. 

He added JAIC is implementing various development processes to handle AI development and address the DoD’s special security needs and requirements when it comes to data.