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Austin, TX-based SparkCognition announced on May 26 the creation of SparkCognition Government Systems (SGS), the first full-spectrum AI company devoted entirely to government and national defense. A wholly owned subsidiary of SparkCognition, SGS offers next-generation AI-powered systems to address critical national security needs.
Since its inception in 2013, SparkCognition has worked with customers and partners in the public sector and national defense, and has advocated for the pursuit of AI technologies to improve government operations. Through these years of experience working with defense and national security clients, SparkCognition understands the unique needs of government. Recognizing that those needs require an undiluted focus, SparkCognition evolved its existing defense and national security business and launched SGS as a full-spectrum AI company. Full-spectrum refers to both the applicability of SparkCognition’s technology across all service branches and government institutions, and the availability of SparkCognition’s solutions as both software and fully integrated systems and platforms.
At the helm of SGS are some of the most experienced and decorated leaders in government and national defense. SGS’s Board of Directors includes the following:
General John R. Allen is a retired United States Marine Corps four-star general and former Commander of the NATO International Security Assistance Force and U.S. Forces – Afghanistan. In 2014, Gen. Allen was appointed by President Barack Obama as special presidential envoy for the Global Coalition to Counter ISIL (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant).
“Warfare of the future will be characterized by rapidly evolving technology, of which AI will perhaps be the most influential,” said General Allen. “The side with the greater capacity to understand the implications of these technologies, and to employ them effectively, safely, and in accordance with the law, will be the side that prevails.”
Lisa Disbrow is the former Under Secretary of the United States Air Force, where she was responsible for the affairs of the Department of the Air Force. Disbrow, an Air Force veteran, previously served as Acting Secretary of the Air Force; as Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Financial Management and Comptroller; and held senior positions at the White House and the Joint Staff.
“By adopting next-generation technologies across the full spectrum of government operations, the US can adapt to future challenges with a more analytical approach,” said Sec. Disbrow.
Amir Husain is the Founder and CEO of SparkCognition and the founding CEO of SkyGrid. He is the author of the best-selling book “The Sentient Machine: The Coming Age of Artificial Intelligence” and a co-author of the compilation “Hyperwar: Conflict and Competition in the AI Century.”
“At SparkCognition, we’ve long recognized the importance of applying AI capabilities to keep our government and allies in a strong global position. Now we are furthering our commitment to ensure the defense of the nation in a time of exponential technological change, and we are honored to do so alongside such an illustrious group of leaders,” said Husain.
Admiral John M. Richardson is a retired United States Navy four-star Admiral who served as the 31st Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) from 2015 until 2019. Adm. Richardson also served as the Director of the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program (a joint Department of Energy and Department of Navy organization), and the Commander of the U.S. Navy Submarine Force.
“Successfully employing artificial intelligence is the key to victory against our competition. AI turbocharges the human-machine teams that must solve the ever more complex challenges today and in the future. We need to get ahead and stay ahead with this critical technology,” said Adm. Richardson.
Robert O. Work served as the 32nd United States Deputy Secretary of Defense from 2014 to 2017 under both the Obama and Trump administrations. He also previously served as the Under Secretary of the Navy and was the CEO of the Center for a New American Security (CNAS).
“The widespread adoption of artificial intelligence across the entire Department of Defense is key to maintaining battlefield dominance in the future. SparkCognition has always viewed this as a top priority, and with the creation of SGS, we can continue to support the government in upholding our nation’s global competitiveness,” said Sec. Work.
Serving as a Strategic Advisor to SGS, Michèle Flournoy is Co-Founder and Managing Partner of WestExec Advisors, former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, and former Co-Founder and CEO of the Center for a New American Security (CNAS), where she currently serves on the board.
Using technologies built in the United States, SGS evolves SparkCognition’s innovative commercial systems and tailors them for the public sector, with a focus on improving the performance of critical operational functions in a cost-effective manner. With next-generation AI-powered technology, SGS advances government operations by analyzing complex data to inform and accelerate intelligent decisions, applying predictive and prescriptive analytics to improve logistics, deploying autonomy technology for power projection systems, using natural language processing for large scale processing of unstructured data, and more.
Source: SparkCognition
