Artificial intelligence offers promise for startups in national security

Michael Hoffman is the executive editor of Tandem National Security Innovations. He is a lifelong journalist who has also served as the managing editor of Military.com and a reporter for Defense News and the Baltimore Sun.

Cybersecurity and artificial intelligence small businesses in the greater Washington region will likely see an injection of federal funding in the coming year.

President-elect Donald Trump listed cybersecurity as a top priority on the campaign trail. The CIA and FBI’s assessment that Russia hacked the Democratic National Committee during the presidential election and Trump’s dispute of that assessment has made cybersecurity the top national story.

TandemNSI is a network of about 5,000 entrepreneurs and startups interested in working with national security agencies. Many of these startups work in cybersecurity and artificial intelligence sectors. Many of these companies are waiting to see if the Trump administration will continue initiatives started in recent years to better engage with commercial technology small businesses. Many wonder if programs like the Defense Innovation Unit Experiment (DIUx) and Defense Digital Service will be shuttered once Defense Secretary Ash Carter leaves office.

A lot of new programs introduce some of these new businesses to these opportunities. Artificial intelligence was one of the areas Carter specifically focused on and it’s an area where his successor will likely want to continue to emphasize as the military seek to modernize its equipment and systems.

Trump’s administration could prove his commitment to these small businesses early by directing additional funding in the early years to these efforts. Small businesses, especially startups, are under pressure to find revenue as they try to keep their businesses afloat. The quicker national security agencies can commit funding, the better for these companies.

To continue the conversation about the future of artificial intelligence and machine learning, TandemNSI is hosting the Beyond A.I. Forum on Jan. 11 at 6 p.m., at the Booz Allen Innovation Center. Speakers from the Homeland Security Department, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Booz Allen, KPMG and MITRE will address how A.I. fits in the future of national security and commercial industries.

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