Unlocking the potential for AI in Defence

[EmilyWilliamson]

Unlocking the potential for AI in Defence: Insights from the Defence AI Clinic facilitated by HPE & NVIDIA

Unlike other industries, the Defence sector demands a level of precision, security and reliability that cannot be compromised. As advancements in technology continue at pace, the Defence sector faces challenges and opportunities that require a robust, agile solution built on foundations that can scale.

As leaders in this specialised field, HPE and NVIDIA share expertise, lessons learnt, and innovation, recognising the potential of AI in shaping the future possibilities in Defence, and fostering a community of debate sharing maturity to those seeking input to their challenges

Watch the interview from Russell Macdonald and Martin Sharkey here

Exploring AI in Defence
The recent Defence AI Clinic facilitated by HPE and NVIDIA, in collaboration with valued partners, provided an opportunity to uncover some challenging topics associated with ensuring AI project success in defence. Held in London, over 50 customers and business partners attended to explore the potential of AI, hear from subject matter experts, and initiate thought-provoking discussions.

Addressing Defence-specific AI challenges
The ability to work a data pool under poor networks and reestablish connections without risk of human intervention in deployed environments was a core discussion point, with emphasis on the below characteristics. Each of these are underpinned by a requirement for speed; AI must facilitate split-second decision-making and rapid response times.

Security – Non-negotiable for Defence organisations.
Flexibility – Defence operations spread across the globe, with complex and changing requirements. AI models therefore need to be flexible, adaptable and scalable.
Compliance – It’s essential that any system adheres to the strict regulations and standards around ethics, transparency and accountability. With instant decisions and rapid responses necessary, AI needs to facilitate swift action.

Key insights from industry experts
The Defence AI Clinic explored lessons learned from global counterparts, and heard insights from influential contributors in the sector who shared their own experiences with AI. Valuable discussions followed seven presentations from experts in the field, looking at the capabilities and addressing the challenges of implementing AI.

Highlights included:

Stephen Holt-Bjørnerud, CEO of Certchain, and Scott Phillips from HPE US Defence, both shared AI lessons learnt from their respective experience in the industry. Stephen offered commercial insights into the unintended AI capabilities, and Scott shared his lessons learnt from a military and data-driven perspective

Jason Liggins, CEO of Crown Hosting Data Centres, emphasised the importance of reinforcing military capabilities with DC facilities, and the changes he was implementing to meet future demand.

NVIDIA’s Chris Woodward discussed how AI can initiate acceleration of business processes and demonstrated a crucial use case for Defence, while Martin Sharkey, CEO of CloudKubed, explored why technical sharing is an issue in large public sector organisations, and suggested strategies for success.

HPE’s Chief Technologist, Russell Macdonald, focused on a critical priority for all public sector organisations, the sustainability strategy, and how it stays aligned to the AI approach. Ben Bennett, HPC Strategist at HPE, closed the session with a vibrant discussion around the possibilities of AI that had been delivered in space and high security applications.

AI maturity in Defence
The clinic provided an incredible opportunity to share knowledge and experience, to ensure the Defence sector moves ahead in readiness for all that AI can deliver. The tangible benefits of AI in defence are clear, with predictive maintenance solutions optimising performance and preventing failures, as well as automation capabilities. AI for military environments, if started on the right foundations, could quickly grow to enable enhanced operations beyond what is possible today.

To be part of this community, or for help with your AI journey, please speak to your HPE team.

Emily Williamson
Hewlett Packard Enterprise

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