Defense Personnel to Undergo Data, AI Upskilling Under Pentagon Initiative

The Department of Defense’s Defense Acquisition University plans to teach over 3,000 military and civilian professionals data analytics and artificial intelligence to help them better understand emerging technologies.

David Pearson, director of DAU’s Engineering and Technology Center, said the upskilling initiative will support a growing recognition across the department for the need for data literacy. According to Pearson, data education is a key step in changing decision-making methods based on dated practices and would ensure that decision-making will be data-driven moving forward.

Personnel from the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps will participate in the program. The Pentagon’s upskilling initiative is part of its AI capabilities improvement initiative, Federal News Network reported Tuesday.

Data and AI education have taken off across the military over recent months.

In late March, U.S. Army leaders participated in the week-long Data Driven Leadership Certificate Program. Participants learned about visualization, engineering, strategy and governance, maturity, analytics and other data and AI-related matters.

In mid-February, U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff Charles Brown revealed a new career path designed for service members specializing in AI and data science. According to Brown, the Air Force will work with non-DOD organizations and industry members for the new career path.