The event was led by Dr Simon Harwood, Leonardo’s UK Strategy & Technology Director, who expressed his appetite for accelerating the integration of AI technology to deliver operational advantage.
“The aim of the conference was to clarify a common approach to AI adoption so that it benefits those in our armed forces who need it most – those on the frontline,” says Simon.
“The question being asked across the MOD is ‘how to do more with less’? Senior commanders are asking how AI can double effectiveness without doubling the size of the force. For example, what can AI do to support shortening decision-making, or amplifying operational situation awareness, ensuring greater platform availability through predictive maintenance, logistics management etc, or even the role AI can play in planning operations?
“Our event provided a forum where experts from across the Leonardo UK could share research, address challenges, and increase the coherence of what we are doing alongside our customers and industrial partners.”
Stakeholders from across the UK defence sector held critical discussions on the shared, cross-cutting challenges for AI delivering transformational effects for military capability, focusing on:
- AI policy and risk management
- Use of synthetics
- Data labelling
- AI assurance and certification
- Autonomy
- Practicalities of AI implementation.
Dr Mark Daniell, Leonardo Capability Lead, highlighted the collaborative atmosphere, noting, “I am incredibly pleased with the enthusiasm and collaboration we experienced at the conference.”
One of the key takeaways from the conference was Leonardo’s leadership in AI policy and risk management, and how this could expedite the deployment of AI in the field.
“We believe that the ability to enable AI algorithms to learn from their environment, thus constantly improving our sensors’ capabilities in the field, has the potential to be an industry benchmark for how defence can best deploy AI technologies,” says Mark. “The constant learning offered by cognitive systems can support things such as situational awareness, and shorten decision-making chains while retaining safety and minimising risk.”
“Looking forward, Leonardo plans to continue accelerating the rate at which we take AI out of the laboratory and deliver it to the customer at pace. Ultimately, our aim is to work with our customer and end-user community to accelerate our AI research and development activity into the hands of the warfighter, to give them the capabilities they need, when the need.”
