DENVER ― The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) is “working to finalize” a new framework for its use of artificial intelligence (AI) and “will make it available very soon,” NGA Director Army Lt. Gen. Michelle Bredenkamp said today.
The document will be NGA’s “blueprint for becoming an AI first organization,” she told the US Geospatial Intelligence Foundation’s annual GEOINT Symposium here in her first major address since taking up the NGA reins in November. “The framework will align to the department’s AI strategy, reflecting its pace, setting projects, lines of effort and goals.”
It will “cover everything from operationalizing GEOINT and AI across the intelligence cycle: modernizing business operations, revolutionizing acquisition, strengthening our partnerships and maturing AI governance,” she added.
The NGA is the functional manager for geospatial intelligence for the Department of Defense, responsible for fusing, analyzing and dissemnating data from government and commercial intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance satellites.
Bredenkamp explained that the goal is to “ensure that every employee is equipped for human machine teaming excellence with AI literacy tools and career pathways that make innovation the norm in our agency.”
At the same time, she stressed that NGA does not intend to abandon human analysts for machines.
“I do want to specifically acknowledge that AI does not replace human judgment. It amplifies it. We’re building AI-responsible systems where humans remain in the loop on decisions that matter the most,” she said. “AI handles the volume, the speed, the pattern recognition across massive data sets, but critical thinking, contextual understanding, the ability to ask, ‘What does this actually mean?’ that is irreplaceable human expertise that we will continue to deliver.
“So, together, human insight and machine speed ― that’s how we deliver GEOINT supremacy.”
Bredenkamp explained that the push for AI is part of the agency’s efforts to quickly to implement its new vision designed to meet the pace of threats today and tomorrow.
“This is our moment to change, and for NGA, our vision is one beyond just maps and images, one where NGA serves as a data agency, leveraging multi-intelligence along with artificial intelligence to produce the best geospatial intelligence supremacy for our decision-makers,” she said. “This new NGA vision and strategy ensures we remain ready ― ready to meet any operational demand ― are resilient against evolving threats and are relevant to the warfighters and the decision-makers that we serve.”
Further, in order to help the agency to speed actionable intelligence to users, NGA has stood up a new Rapid Capabilities Office (RCO), being led by Chris Parrett.
“I have personally charged Chris and our RCO team with engaging industry and using the full range of acquisition authorities, including Other Transaction Authorities, to deliver capabilities at speed,” Bredenkamp said. “And our RCO team will take more acquisition risk to reduce our operational risk, because that is what is required in our current environment. I urge our industry partners to engage with our RCO team and bring forward your disruptive solutions and assist to help us address our urgent needs.”
She noted that NGA in July will hold an industry day on “advanced analytics,” including both “classified and unclassified forums” to allow for a broad range of innovative input from industry.