AIRC Perspectives

Best Practices for Addressing New Challenges in Testing and Evaluating Artificial Intelligence Enabled Systems

PUBLISHED
September 2022

AUTHORS: Dr. Laura Freeman, Dr. Justin Kauffman, Mr. Daniel Sobien, Dr. Tyler Cody, and Dr. Erin Lanus
VIRGINIA TECH

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and statistical machine learning (ML) into complex systems exposes a variety of challenges in traditional test and evaluation (T&E) practices. As more decisions at varying levels are handled by AI-enabled systems (AIES), we need T&E processes that provide a basis for ensuring system effectiveness, suitability, and survivability.

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Measuring the RoI of Digital Engineering: It’s a Journey, Not a Number

PUBLISHED
July 2022

AUTHORS: Mr. Thomas A. McDermott Jr.¹, Dr. Kaitlin Henderson², Dr. Eileen Van Aken², Dr. Alejandro Salado³, and Dr. Joseph Bradley⁴
STEVENS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY ¹, VIRGINIA TECH ², UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA ³, OLD DOMINION UNIVERSITY ⁴

Systems engineering as a discipline has long had difficulty providing quantifiable evidence of its value (Honour 2004); DE transformation provides an opportunity to better measure its value. Transitioning from a document-based to a model-based approach is expensive, and organizations want to know if the effort and cost to adopt MBSE is worth it.

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Defense Data Grand Prix: Solving Grand Problems to Meet a Grand Vision

PUBLISHED
June 2022

AUTHORS: Dr. Stoney Trent¹, Dr. Hoong Yan See Tao², Dr. Ying Wang², Dr. Paul Grogan²and Dr. Christian Lucero¹
VIRGINIA TECH¹, STEVENS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY ²

The DoD Data Strategy supports digital modernization and use of data at the speed and scale needed for efficiency and operational advantage. As the future workforce for the DoD, university students studying data science benefit from practical research challenges as part of their education. The Defense Data Grand Prix provides research opportunities that expose students to Defense Acquisition System challenges, decisions, and processes.

Critical Competencies to Support Digital Transformation in Acquisition

PUBLISHED
May 2022

AUTHOR: Dr. Nicole Hutchison
STEVENS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

As the DoD transitions to digital engineering, there is a need to develop and maintain an acquisition workforce that is literate in model-based approaches, competent in digital models, methods, and tools, and understands digital artifacts across the acquisition lifecycle. This perspective paper explores those competencies and levels of proficiency needed to support digital transformation.

Managing Portfolios in an Environment of Dynamic Requirements and Uncertainty

PUBLISHED
April 2022

AUTHORS: Dr. William B. Rouse¹, Dr. Dinesh Verma², Mr. Thomas A. McDermott, Jr.², and Dr. Philip S. Antón²
GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY ¹, STEVENS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY ²

Organizations would like to have the flexibility and agility to address the uncertainty of both needs and technologies that results from challenges related to performance, organizational experience, supply chains, etc. This perspective paper outlines and illustrates new ways of thinking and allocating resources that organizations can adopt to address these challenges.

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CHALLENGES TO INNOVATION TRANSITION: The Valley of Death Results from More Than a Lack of Flexible Funding

PUBLISHED
March 2022

AUTHOR: Dr. Philip S. Antón
STEVENS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

Innovation is appealing and attractive, but it is a difficult and risky business. The Department of Defense (DoD) and the commercial sector have long struggled with transitioning and fielding innovative concepts and systems to operational use. Data show that very few innovations are successfully fielded. To tackle innovation, the DoD and its partners have created a range of organizations to pursue and apply innovative concepts.