智邦网
2020-09-2 智邦网
编译 致远
据C4isr网9月1日报道，8月28日，美国防部联合人工智能中心（JAIC）发布信息需求，希望建立新的AI设备采购程序，“考虑”启动“人工智能采办商业模式”501(c)非赢利营利主管或样机主管职位的竞争，以寻求使用其他交易授权程序更快速地采购AI产品，加快国防部系统AI应用。
JAIC的样机商业模式“通过对AI产品采购的传统和非传统企业开展有意义的市场研究/前沿技术联合开发和最佳团队协作方式，增强AI开发能力”，如果计划得以实施，中心将“寻求采用该模式将敏捷AI采办程序用于整个国防部系统的可能性。”
为满足军队需求，JAIC采用基于《联邦采购条例》（FAR）的传统政府合同管理程序，与总务管理局、国防信息系统局和国防创新单元合作组织。
现行传统采办策略难以满足JAIC履行职能的需要，中心将建立一个新的AI采办商业模式，评估非FAR合同与FAR合同结合的潜力，以满足JAIC需求。
中心的目标是在保持授予FAR合同与非FAR合同之间灵活性的同时，简化授予程序，尽可能开展竞争，减少各种限制规定。
目前，JAIC通过国防信息系统局和总务管理局授予主要合同。今年5月，中心通过总务管理局的联合作战国家任务倡议程序授予博思艾伦咨询公司8亿美元五年期合同。
需求书提出AI采办商业模式样机的六个“顶层目标”：
1.最大限度地拓展非传统工业界和学术界合作伙伴；
2.建立军种和国防部业务局使用的采办模式；
3.最大限度地采用自动化程序，如通过在线门户明确需求、合作方式、供应商选择、性能监督；
4.采用敏捷和“开发运营安全保障”方式促进采办记录计划的整合和转型；
5.培训、工具和政策制定中大量采用敏捷方法；
6.最大限度地采用JAIC的“联合通用基金” (JCF)AI开发平台。
需求回复将于9月16日提交。
Pentagon’s central AI office wants to standardize its acquisition process
WASHINGTON — The Pentagon’s top artificial intelligence office released a request for information Aug. 28 outlining interest in establishing a new acquisition approach for standardizing the development and procurement process for AI tools.
According to the solicitation, the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center is “considering” starting a competition for a 501(c) nonprofit manager or managers of its prototype “Artificial Intelligence Acquisition Business Model” that looks to use other transaction authorities to more quickly purchase AI products.
The JAIC’s prototype business model could deliver “AI capabilities through meaningful market research/front-end collaboration and optimal teaming arrangements of both traditional and non-traditional companies for AI product procurement,” the RFI said. If the plan moves forward, the JAIC would also “explore the possibilities of using the model to enable agile AI acquisition processes to the DoD at scale.”
The JAIC is the Defense Department’s main hub for artificial intelligence and is responsible for increasing adoption of AI across the department. It works with the services and combatant commands to develop AI tools that have practical use.
To meet the military’s needs, the JAIC uses the traditional government contracting process, known as Federal Acquisition Regulation-based contracts, and works with the General Services Administration, the Defense Information Systems Agency and the Defense Innovation Unit. The traditional acquisition strategy currently being used is unlikely sufficient enough to help the JAIC carry out its mission, the RFI stated.
“To scale this strategy to other DoD service requirements or respond to emergent requirements such as COVID-19 is challenging and may not be the most efficient use of acquisition tools,” the RFI read. “The JAIC will therefore prototype a new AI Acquisition Business Model to assess the potential for non-FAR-based contracts mixed with FAR-based contracts to meet JAIC requirements.”
JAIC’s goals are to streamline awards while maintaining flexibility between FAR and non-FAR awards, and to maximize competition while minimizing restrictions, the RFI explained.
The JAIC recently awarded major contracts through DISA and GSA. In May, it awarded a five-year contract with an $800 million ceiling to Booz Allen Hamilton through the GSA for its new joint war-fighting national mission initiative, though JAIC officials have continuously noted that the value of the contract won’t hit $800 million.
The JAIC also announced a $106 million contract award to the consulting firm Deloitte for its Joint Common Foundation, a critical element for sharing datasets and AI tools across Department of Defense components.
The JAIC has said for several months that it needs its own acquisition authority to be effective. Before he retired in June from his position as JAIC director, Air Force Lt. Gen. Jack Shanahan called on Congress to give the center its own acquisition authority. He said on a webinar in late May that the center’s lack of acquisition tools will hinder the organization’s ability to increase AI use across the DoD.
“It’s not going to be fast enough as we start putting more and more money into this capability development,” Shanahan said, speaking on a webinar hosted by the AFCEA Washington, D.C., chapter. “We need our own acquisition authority. We have to move faster.”
The solicitation outlined six “high-level goals” for the prototype AI Acquisition Business Model.
- “Maximize outreach to non-traditional (e.g.., small business) industry and academic partners.
- “Create an acquisition model that is utilized by the Services and DoD agencies.
- “Maximize use of automated processes (e.g., online portal for requirements definition, collaboration, source selection, and performance monitoring).
- “Facilitate integration and transition to Acquisition programs of record (PoR) using agile and DevSecOps practices.
- “Increase use of agile methods for training, tools, and policy development.
- “Maximize utilization of the JAIC’s Joint Common Foundation (JCF) AI Development Platform.”
Responses are due Sept. 16.
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