Software Engineering Institute

AI Engineering

Realizing the Promise of AI Solutions

Artificial intelligence (AI) holds incredible promise for transforming our software-driven world in general and DoD mission capabilities in particular. AI can compute more data more quickly than even automated software. That computational advantage allows us to make the most of human-machine teaming, freeing humans to focus their attention on the types of tasks they do best.

However, solutions to-date, while often brilliant, are difficult to replicate, verify, and validate. Practiced by virtuosos and talented amateurs, current AI solutions are created using intuition and brute force, with haphazard progress, casual transmission, and extravagant use of available materials.

Leading a movement for AI Engineering

The SEI knows that engineering practice for AI software and data is needed to capitalize on the promise of those capabilities for the nation’s military and government defense and security organizations. Further, the SEI has the experience, skills, and practical creativity to bridge the gap between inventing the possible and deploying the practical.

As a result, the SEI is leading a movement to establish and mature an engineering discipline for the data and software of AI systems. When your organization develops AI-enabled capabilities using AI Engineering practice, you will see

• Rapid, iterative delivery of robust AI-enabled capabilities
• Data management practices tuned for the needs in AI for evidence, traceability, and continuous innovation
• Interface designs for effective human-machine teaming in AI systems
• Continuous acceptance testing
• Transition of tools and critical skills for AI
• Ongoing monitoring and validation to counteract an AI-enabled capability’s enhanced attack surface
• Adaptable, flexible, and evolvable solutions