Military Officials Say AI Could Help in Cybersecurity Work

The commanding general of the U.S. Army Cyber Command said the U.S. military needs to better integrate and use artificial intelligence, machine learning and other emerging technologies to improve decision-making.

Speaking at the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association’s TechNet Cyber conference, Lt. Gen. Maria Barrett shared that AI, ML and other technologies could reduce the complexity of servicemen’s work, especially those pertaining to cyber operations. She noted that the U.S. Army has the foundations to take advantage of such technologies.

The Department of Defense has been exploring how AI can be used to improve warfighting capabilities, Breaking Defense reported Tuesday.

Lt. Gen. Robert Skinner, the director of the Defense Information Systems Agency and a 2023 Wash100 winner, said during the same event that the DOD would need help from the private industry to understand how to use AI faster and how it could be applied to cybersecurity matters like network and data protection.

While the DOD is keen on using AI to improve cybersecurity matters, a senior Department of Homeland Security official warned entities of the risks the technology poses. Speaking at a GovCon Wire event on April 18, DHS Science & Technology Directorate Undersecretary Dimitri Kusnezov said AI can be used for cyberattacks against critical infrastructure.