DASA seeks AI innovations to solve defence challenges
Image courtesy DASA
This IFA seeks proposals for innovative research projects that apply AI to defence challenges and / or aim to overcome common barriers to implementing AI within defence.
Applying AI to overcome common defence challenges
The Defence AI Strategy (DAIS) sets out the UK’s vision to adapt and exploit Artificial Intelligence (AI) at pace and scale for defence advantage. This IFA aims to generate the best ideas from a diverse range of innovators and offers the opportunity for innovators to suggest AI projects to defence.
The application of AI to defence challenges will enhance military capability, allowing the UK and its allies to maintain an advantage in defence and security. Defence also wants to harness the efficiency benefits that AI is bringing to a wide range of other sectors. Examples of desired outcomes from AI include changes in:
- the quality and timeliness of intelligence data available to military commanders
- the effectiveness in planning and conducting operations
- reducing the risk to life of armed forces personnel through the use of uncrewed, autonomous platforms
- automating routine tasks to free defence personnel up to do higher value activities
- achieving better value for the taxpayer by making the business of defence more efficient
DASA and DAIC are interested in funding proposals that harness all types of AI to deliver significant benefits to defence. For example:
- autonomous logistics and any research with the potential to significantly improve the efficiency of the logistics chain or increase availability
- exploiting operational data, e.g. to support intelligence analysis, or to protect the force. This could require using open source data or classified data from any source, including sensors; if the exploitation of the innovation is likely to use classified data, your proposal would benefit from considering how this could be achieved (please note that no classified data will be provided)
- human-machine teaming for military effect (including the use of autonomous systems within the force and the coordination of multiple crewed / autonomous systems)
- machine-speed decision making (e.g. to support operational planning and command and control)
- increasing efficiency, or how defence manages and supports its people and its systems
Is your innovation suitable for this IFA? See DASA’s other AI competitions.
Please note that proposals addressing the application of AI to either sub-threshold activity in the information domain, or understanding and analysing audiences should apply to different DASA competitions. These particular themes will be the focus of the competitions, Machine Speed Strategic Analysis (MSSA) and Understanding Audiences.
See Competitions in DASA's Pipeline for more information .
Submit a proposal
Do you have an AI innovation that applies AI to defence challenges and / or aims to overcome common barriers to implementing AI within defence?
To read the full IFA and submit a proposal, click here
