The US Special Operations Command (SOCOM) has signed a deal with tech company Seerist to bolster the Department of Defense’s expertise in global event detection, risk assessment, and operational decision-making using AI and machine learning.
The five-year Cooperative Research and Development Agreement will focus on using AI-powered analytics to boost the command’s information gathering, situational awareness, and predictive modeling capabilities.
Improved responses to emerging threats and geopolitical instability will also be one of the partnership’s main goals.
Seerist Federal President John Goolgasian shared that the deal is a significant step in modernizing the country’s capabilities for national security.
“By integrating Seerist’s AI-driven intelligence with SOCOM’s operational expertise, we will develop cutting-edge solutions that proactively identify risks, enabling faster and more informed decision-making in complex environments,” he added.
Seerist’s proprietary models can automate information gathering and analysis with the use of open-source intelligence sources, including news, social media, economic and governance indicators, travel warnings, and weather.
AI in the Army
The US’ push for AI-driven capabilities not only serves as a means for modernization, but also as a way to resolve information gaps critical to national security.
In 2018, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency invested $2 billion in about 20 projects focusing on AI and machine learning. The investment was initially created with the hopes of “transforming computers from specialized tools to partners in problem-solving.”
Its more recent AI projects lean more on direct application to defense capabilities. Last month, Romania’s OVES Enterprise was tapped to integrate AI technology into the army’s EAGLS counter-drone system.
The US Air Force also flew a VISTA X-62A tactical aircraft for 17 hours using an AI agent, performing one-on-one beyond-visual-range engagements against a simulated adversary.