The CAF and AI

By Dr. Ann Griffiths, 12 March 2024

The Department of National Defence has released its Artificial Intelligence Strategy. In the Introduction, CDS General Wayne Eyre and DND Deputy Minister Bill Matthews state that the world is at a “technological inflection point” and that Canada needs to keep up. The strategy “commits the Defence Team to becoming AI enabled by 2030, in line with our goals for an overall digital transformation by that date.” General Eyre also notes that allies are moving ahead on this, and Canada “must move now to ensure that we can continue to share a common operating picture with them, sensing, deciding, and acting at a pace enabled by AI, so that we do not lose our credibility and relevance as a fighting force.” Unfortunately, that ship may have already sailed, but Eyre acknowledges that we need to try to keep up with other countries that have momentum. As the strategy notes, the armed forces of the United States, United Kingdom and Australia have all set up centres to explore and experiment with AI – the plan in the strategy is that Canada should do so as well, better late than never. The document is worth reading for the various charts/graphs, definitions, comparison between human intelligence and AI, capabilities of AI, and the inspirational (aspirational?) language. Broadsides readers might find the section “Machine Learning Can Predict System Failures on Royal Canadian Navy Ships” of interest. The document can be found at https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/corporate/reports-publications/dnd-caf-artificial-intelligence-strategy.html