Defence signs deals for AI research projects

Defence has signed contracts with the University of South Australia and Deakin University for two research projects which will use artificial intelligence to process noisy and dynamic data into information that will give military decision makers an edge. The research projects are part of the Defence Artificial Intelligence Research Network (DAIRNet) Phase II call out and will receive a combined $1.746 million dollars of funding from the Next Generation Technologies Fund (NGTF). Chief Defence Scientist Professor Tanya Monro AC said the aim of the two year projects was to rapidly develop prototypes that deliver Defence capabilities. “Robotics, autonomous systems and artificial intelligence are a group of technologies that are a Defence Sovereign Industrial Capability Priority,” she said. “The DAIRNet Phase II call out sought innovative proposals for prototypes that will help warfighters achieve superior decision making, and ultimately enhance Defence capability.” The University of South Australia research project will develop a statistical machine learning algorithm using data from devices like smart watches to detect early signs of infection in a person. Future practical applications may include the early detection of chemical or biological threats to maximise the effectiveness of interventions. In the Deakin University project, their Applied Artificial Intelligence Institute will apply next generation machine learning to develop models that can process noisy and dynamic data that is multi-source, multi-modal, irregularly timed and that spans a prolonged period. The NGTF is a cornerstone of Defence’s integrated innovation system with $1.2 billion in funding through to 2030 to invest in game-changing capabilities for Defence. For Editorial Inquiries Contact: Editor Kym Bergmann at [email protected] For Advertising Inquiries Contact: Director of Sales Graham Joss at [email protected]