The inevitability of artificial intelligence affecting all areas of federal acquisition must be accepted by leaders in contracting, according to a paper by Mitre titled “Enhancing Acquisition Outcomes through Leveraging of Artificial Intelligence.”
By embracing AI safely and responsibly, acquisition leaders can help the government purchase higher-quality capabilities at greater speed and lower cost, Mitre said in the paper, which was released Thursday.
To achieve these outcomes, Mitre offers several recommendations, like acquisition leaders looking for opportunities to implement AI in their processes while working to mitigate accompanying risks.
Other recommendations include the establishment of a holistic AI acquisition framework that, among other things, clearly defines AI system requirements, as well as parameters for their development, testing, deployment and maintenance; the promotion of AI transparency and accountability; and preparing the federal workforce to be AI-ready.
Efforts to make AI part of federal acquisitions must start now, in order for the U.S. to maintain its strategic advantage, Mitre said.