Emerging Tech

DARPA Plans Bugbot ‘Olympics’ to Foster Breakthrough in Tiny Machines

Redesigning tiny motors and limbs could make microbots a reality.

Artificial Intelligence

Google DeepMind Researchers Join Pledge Not to Work in Lethal AI

Thousands of AI researchers sign letter forgoing work on autonomous weapons.

Artificial Intelligence

Pentagon Plans to Publish Broad Artificial Intelligence Strategy ‘Within Weeks’

The report will focus on long-term plans and how it will funnel resources to developing the technology, a Defense official said.

Cybersecurity

Pentagon Wants to Move Some Cyber Defense Operations to the Cloud

The Defense Department’s considering a cloud extension of its Acropolis system, which it describes as “where we fight” in cyberspace.

Cybersecurity

If Your Weapons Aren’t Cyber-Hardened, Expect to Lose Pentagon Contracts

The Pentagon intends to start assessing its weapons’ resistance to hacks, instead of leaving that to manufacturers.

Emerging Tech

The Pentagon Wants to Bring Mind-Controlled Tech To Troops

The Defense Department’s research arm is working on a project that connects human operators’ brains to the systems they’re controlling—and vice versa.

Cybersecurity

Russia’s Foreign-Software Approval Service Helps Military Hackers: Report

The agency that ostensibly reviews foreign-made wares for vulnerabilities sends the lion’s share straight to its hacker squads.

Digital Government

More Money for Cyber Spies, Outrage after Indictments and Supply Chain Cyber is Super Hot

More indictments for Mueller and a busy week regarding federal IT for Congress.

Emerging Tech

Pentagon Seeks an Edge in Quantum Computing

The Pentagon’s research arm wants to get up to speed on quantum computing before China and other adversaries.

Ideas

Here's Why the Federal Government Ought to Embrace the Blockchain

First, it's essentially impervious to tampering.

Artificial Intelligence

Pentagon Sets Big Goals for Its New AI Center

The Joint Artificial Intelligence Center will be the hub for all projects that exceed $15 million.

Artificial Intelligence

China, Russia, and the U.S. Are All Building Centers for Military AI

But their burgeoning approaches to state-sponsored research are divergent as the countries themselves.

Cybersecurity

Hacker Caught Selling Maintenance Manuals for Military Drones

A poorly configured router allowed the theft of drone manuals, a list of maintainers, material on the Abrams tank, and more.

Emerging Tech

Defense Security Service Is Trying to Overhaul the Entire Security Clearance Process

And it turned to an alternative contracting method to find nontraditional background check companies and ideas.

Emerging Tech

Army Developing Simulated Missile Launchers to Improve Combat Training

The goal is to train pilots and other crew members on how to respond to shoulder-fired missiles and rocket launchers.

Modernization

The Pentagon Wants to Automate Some Classification Decisions

The proposed software would help defense officials make classification decisions and automatically enforce them.

Digital Government

For the Pentagon Management Chief, Reform Begins with Good Data

Pentagon Chief Management Officer Jay Gibson offers a view of the path to reform in an exclusive interview with Nextgov.

Artificial Intelligence

General: Project Maven Is Just the Beginning of the Military’s Use of AI

Air Combat Command chief invites tech firms to help build next-gen tools for the Pentagon. Also says dissent "is part of being an American."

Modernization

What DOD’s Change In Cloud Leadership Means For Multibillion-Dollar Programs

The Defense Department’s management chief Jay Gibson discusses the evolving Cloud Executive Steering Group.

Artificial Intelligence

Google’s Withdrawal from Pentagon AI Project Risks U.S. Lives, Says Work

Former deputy defense secretary says the tech giant should consider how its work might help save U.S. troops — and how it is currently helping China.