The application of AI can be used to address many of the military challenges that DoD faces today. As the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence noted, “the rapidly improving ability of computer systems to solve problems and to perform tasks that would otherwise require human intelligence—and in some instances exceed human performance—is world altering.” If adversaries and competitors are successful in harnessing its power before the U.S. military, then our competitive advantage could be lost for the next decade.
The SWP uses a flexible and adaptable requirements approach that supports smaller and more frequent releases, promotes regular prioritization of operational needs, and promotes greater flexibility to accommodate adoption of new enabling technologies and services. AI/ML development and fielding shares many parallels with software processes but also has additional considerations that programs need to factor into their planning.
The SWP recognizes that AI/ML capabilities may form a portion of a larger program or AI/ML capabilities may represent a unique effort independent of other systems. While the lifecycle may be envisioned differently depending on the case (see below), it essentially follows the same steps towards deploying and maintaining an operational capability.