Most of the buzz in GovCon currently is about establishing cybersecurity standards to meet the threats of the day and beyond. This includes accelerating the use of AI in government agencies to create a seamless capability of communicating from the top down and back up again, both at home and in the battlefield.
These two industries will undoubtedly go hand-in-hand as we progress. Why? Seems like you can’t secure what is being used, stored, and shared through AI without some pretty intense cybersecurity. But you don’t hear a lot about the two industries in the same conversation, so am I missing something? Experts, we need your insight!
Finding Harmony in GovCon and Artificial Intelligence
What I have gathered from the information being published and also touted at the events I have attended lately is that we need more input from both sides.
I have partners in both industries that I rely on for information that is palatable for my very elementary knowledge on the inside of both technologies. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Human-Machine-Interaction (HMI) are necessary for the modernization of our military and the way we communicate across the board.
At a federal level, consortiums and organizations are forming platforms specifically designed to cultivate an ecosystem of experts and technology from which government agencies can cherry-pick for their contract awards. On one hand, this is so the awarded opportunities are not just given to the same producers all the time; on the other, it is to level the playing field for small businesses and individuals who otherwise would have had zero access to this work.
Creating Contract Opportunities in Technology
Consider these platforms as market research for technology scouts within the industry so they can find new talent for specific projects related to AI. Whether it is staff augmentation to provide the manpower by the individual or businesses who offer subject matter expertise on a particular skill within AI, the two can be piecemealed together to fulfill the specifications on a contract. It is a brilliant way to allow the best of the best to compete in a more open forum for a contract opportunity, not the stalemate and “same ol’ same ol’” ways of the past.
The only thing I saw, missing was the incorporation of cyber professionals with the implementation of new AI technologies. Everyone in GovCon today knows the constant and persistent threats within the industry aimed at gaining access and entry through cyber-attack. With new technologies, new vulnerabilities will arise, so I wonder where the collaboration is between these two distinct technological approaches.
The Importance of Checks and Balances
As humans empower machines to control more, it would seem less oversight will be necessary but with more protection needed. Still, this is merely a perception of an outsider who has read way too many articles and accounts of cyber breaches in the last two years. For as much as technology moves us ahead to speed up communication, we may open ourselves up to more vulnerability if we wait too long to secure the new system.
While we are all pondering how we will edge out the Russians and the Chinese to stay ahead with AI advancements, we still need to protect our assets as we progress. I would hate to see us take two steps forward with modernization and then four steps back after a breach. While I am excited for the small businesses that will be greatly impacted by this new access, I am concerned that I see no cooperation with protecting the accomplishments and the information that will be shared in the process.
As we acquire AI at the speed of relevance, we need to be sure checks and balances are in place as well.